Abstract

When the intensity of light wave propagating in a birefringent optical fiber is large enough, the refractive index of both fast axis and slow axis are changed by different amounts depending on the polarization direction of incident light wave. Nonlinear birefringence induced by a pulse can be used to modify its own shape.¹ Recently, J.-L. Tapie and G. A. Mourou used this effect to remove the pedestal associated with the pulses compressed by a fiber-pulse compressor, and a contrast ratio as high as 10⁷ was obtained.²

© 1993 Optical Society of America