Dynamic population Bragg gratings can be recorded in the rare-earth-doped (e.g. doped with erbium or ytterbium) optical fibers with mWatt-scale cw laser power. Two-wave mixing (TWM) via such gratings is utilized in single-frequency fiber lasers and in adaptive interferometric fiber sensors with automatic stabilization of the operation point. Slow and fast light propagation can also be observed in the vicinity of narrow (~20-200Hz) spectral profile of stationary no-degenerate TWM. In particular, slow light propagation is observed for the purely amplitude grating, recorded in the erbium-doped fiber in spectral range 1510-1550nm. In its turn, in ytterbium-doped fibers at 1064nm (or in erbium-doped fiber at the wavelength below 1500nm) the dynamic grating has significant contribution of the phase component, the TWM profile has essentially asymmetric form, and both slow and fast (superluminal) light propagation is possible at different frequency off-sets between the counter-propagating interacting waves.Dynamic population Bragg gratings can be recorded in the rare-earth-doped (e.g. doped with erbium or ytterbium) optical fibers with mWatt-scale cw laser power. Two-wave mixing (TWM) via such gratings is utilized in single-frequency fiber lasers and in adaptive interferometric fiber sensors with automatic stabilization of the operation point. Slow and fast light propagation can also be observed in the vicinity of narrow (~20-200Hz) spectral profile of stationary no-degenerate TWM. In particular, slow light propagation is observed for the purely amplitude grating, recorded in the erbium-doped fiber in spectral range 1510-1550nm. In its turn, in ytterbium-doped fibers at 1064nm (or in erbium-doped fiber at the wavelength below 1500nm) the dynamic grating has significant contribution of the phase component, the TWM profile has essentially asymmetric form, and both slow and fast (superluminal) light propagation is possible at different frequency off-sets between the counter-propagating interacting waves.

Apr 28, 20170 citations

Slow and fast light via two-wave mixing in erbium-doped fibers with saturable absorption

Serguei I. Stepanov, Marcos Plata Sánchez

We report experimental observation of slow or fast light in configuration of counterpropagating saturating and probe waves in erbium-doped fibers with saturable absorption. The delayed or accelerated probe light propagation is shown to be associated with two-wave mixing (TWM) between these two waves via dynamic population grating. As compared with recording at 1526 nm from the central region of ${\text{Er}}^{3+}$ fundamental absorption spectrum, at 1485 nm, the population grating has significant admixture of the refractive index component. This results in a significant asymmetry of the TWM-induced transmittance of the probe wave as a function of the frequency offset $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\Omega}$ between the waves and shifts position of the maximum group delay from zero $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\Omega}$. The same reason ensures appearance of a significant group advancement for the frequency offset of the opposite sign.We report experimental observation of slow or fast light in configuration of counterpropagating saturating and probe waves in erbium-doped fibers with saturable absorption. The delayed or accelerated probe light propagation is shown to be associated with two-wave mixing (TWM) between these two waves via dynamic population grating. As compared with recording at 1526 nm from the central region of ${\text{Er}}^{3+}$ fundamental absorption spectrum, at 1485 nm, the population grating has significant admixture of the refractive index component. This results in a significant asymmetry of the TWM-induced transmittance of the probe wave as a function of the frequency offset $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\Omega}$ between the waves and shifts position of the maximum group delay from zero $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\Omega}$. The same reason ensures appearance of a significant group advancement for the frequency offset of the opposite sign.

Physical Review ANov 30, 200917 citations

Slow and fast light in optical fibers: Review and perspectives

Thevenaz

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science ConferenceJan 1, 20090 citations

Phase population gratings recorded in ytterbium doped fiber at 1064 nm

Serguei I. Stepanov, Marcos Plata Sánchez

For the first time, the experimental results on spatially uniform photo-induced refractive index changes Δn induced in ytterbium-doped optical fiber at the wavelength λ= 1064 nm were obtained and directly compared with the efficiency of the transient two-wave mixing (TWM) via phase population grating. It is shown that the TWM efficiency is in a reasonably good accordance with the theoretical evaluation based on the Dn measurements. Similar correspondence was also observed for a significantly weaker spatially uniform saturation of the fiber optical absorption and the TWM efficiency via absorption type population gratings. In contrast to similar data obtained earlier for erbium doped fibers, this allows us to assume that spatial diffusion of the excited state among Yb3+ is significantly less efficient than among Er3+ ions.For the first time, the experimental results on spatially uniform photo-induced refractive index changes Δn induced in ytterbium-doped optical fiber at the wavelength λ= 1064 nm were obtained and directly compared with the efficiency of the transient two-wave mixing (TWM) via phase population grating. It is shown that the TWM efficiency is in a reasonably good accordance with the theoretical evaluation based on the Dn measurements. Similar correspondence was also observed for a significantly weaker spatially uniform saturation of the fiber optical absorption and the TWM efficiency via absorption type population gratings. In contrast to similar data obtained earlier for erbium doped fibers, this allows us to assume that spatial diffusion of the excited state among Yb3+ is significantly less efficient than among Er3+ ions.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIEAug 10, 20112 citations

Controllable ultraslow light propagation in highly-doped erbium fiber

Yundong Zhang, Wei Qiu, Jianbo Ye +4 more

Optics CommunicationsJan 16, 200818 citations

{\text{Er}}^{3+}

fundamental absorption spectrum, at 1485 nm, the population grating has significant admixture of the refractive index component. This results in a significant asymmetry of the TWM-induced transmittance of the probe wave as a function of the frequency offset $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\Omega}$ between the waves and shifts position of the maximum group delay from zero $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\Omega}$. The same reason ensures appearance of a significant group advancement for the frequency offset of the opposite sign.