Abstract

All-optical signal processing will be an important enabler of future ultrafast (>100 Gbit/s) telecommunications networks. Optically-mode-locked lasers,¹ optical regenerators,² and all-optical demultiplexers³ based on fiber devices incorporating erbium-doped fiber amplifiers and a nonlinear optical element, typically a few kilometers of dispersion-shifted optical fiber, have been demonstrated. Although these optical processing elements can be made insensitive to the environment, and so extremely stable, it would be desirable to significantly reduce the length of the all-optical nonlinear element and so reduce the control overhead, ease packaging problems, and reduce problems associated with latency. In addition, a shorter fiber would allow a wider range of driving wavelengths to be used. This paper describes the design and fabrication of a highly nonlinear fiber for use in all-optical processing elements. Optical mode locking of an erbium-fiber ring laser is demonstrated at 10 GHz by using only 20 m of fiber.

© 1995 Optical Society of America