Abstract

Techniques for multiplication of pulse trains repetition rate are of major importance for the development of future ultrahigh-speed optical transmission systems in the 15 µm wavelength region A promising and simple method [1] is based on the linear propagation of the pulse train in a highly dispersive medium exploiting, in the time domain by multiple pulse interference, a condition analogous to that found in the fractional Talbot effect of diffractive optics [2] Here we report on the first experimental demonstration of pulse train multiplication based on the temporal Talbot effect, using a suitably designed linearly-chirped fiber grating as a dispersive element Although the technique is very general and any suitable pulsed source (including waveguide/fiber based) could be used, in our experiments the initial pulse train is generated by a 2 5 GHz repetition-rate FM mode-locked Er-Yb:glass laser, producing Gaussian pulses with durations tunable from ≅6 to ≅ 15 ps with 10 mW average power A 100-µm thick intracavity BK7 etalon is used to finely tune the center wavelength of the mode-locked laser spectrum by few nanometers around 1533 nm

© 2000 IEEE