Abstract: A method of simultaneously specifying the wavelength dispersion and nonlinear coefficient of an optical fiber. Pulsed probe light and pulsed pump light are first caused to enter an optical fiber to be measured. Then, the power oscillation of the back-scattered light of the probe light or idler light generated within the optical fiber is measured. Next, the instantaneous frequency of the measured power oscillation is obtained, and the dependency of the instantaneous frequency relative to the power oscillation of the pump light in a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber is obtained. Thereafter, a rate of change in the longitudinal direction between phase-mismatching conditions and nonlinear coefficient of the optical fiber is obtained from the dependency of the instantaneous frequency. And based on the rate of change, the longitudinal wavelength-dispersion distribution and longitudinal nonlinear-coefficient distribution of the optical fiber are simultaneously specified.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for generating four-wave mixing to obtain idler light with high efficiency, in which the range of lengths of an optical fiber is appropriately set, and probe light and pumping light, having different frequencies, are launched into the optical fiber. When the nonlinear coefficient of the optical fiber, the loss per unit distance, and the wavelength and intensity of the probe light and pumping light are set to certain values, the idler light conversion efficiency at the output end of the optical fiber is a periodic function of an optical fiber having a maximal value and a minimal value. The maximum length of the optical fiber to be used to obtain four-wave mixing is set to be equal to or less than the length Lmax (Lmax=Lm+?L) which is given by adding the length of the optical fiber Lm, at which the idler light conversion efficiency takes on the first maximal value in the aforementioned periodic function and distance ?L or 10% of L.

Abstract: A method of simultaneously specifying the wavelength dispersion and nonlinear coefficient of an optical fiber. Pulsed probe light and pulsed pump light are first caused to enter an optical fiber to be measured. Then, the power oscillation of the back-scattered light of the probe light or idler light generated within the optical fiber is measured. Next, the instantaneous frequency of the measured power oscillation is obtained, and the dependency of the instantaneous frequency relative to the power oscillation of the pump light in a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber is obtained. Thereafter, a rate of change in the longitudinal direction between phase-mismatching conditions and nonlinear coefficient of the optical fiber is obtained from the dependency of the instantaneous frequency. And based on the rate of change, the longitudinal wavelength-dispersion distribution and longitudinal nonlinear-coefficient distribution of the optical fiber are simultaneously specified.

Abstract: A multi-frequency light producing method and apparatus multiplies the number of optical channels present in an incident wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal light source by four-wave mixing (FWM) the WDM signal with at least one pump lightwave at least one time. By FWM the WDM light and a pump lightwave multiple times, wherein each FWM process is executed with a pump lightwave having a different frequency, either in series or parallel, the number of optical channels produced as a result of FWM effectively increases the number of optical channels present in addition to those from the WDM signal. The light producing method and apparatus can be employed in a telecommunications system as a an inexpensive light source producing a plurality of optical frequencies.

Abstract: A multi-frequency light producing method and apparatus multiplies the number of optical channels present in an incident wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal light source by four-wave mixing (FWM) the WDM signal with at least one pump lightwave at least one time. By FWM the WDM light and a pump lightwave multiple times, wherein each FWM process is executed with a pump lightwave having a different frequency, either in series or parallel, the number of optical channels produced as a result of FWM effectively increases the number of optical channels present in addition to those from the WDM signal. The light producing method and apparatus can be employed in a telecommunications system as an inexpensive light source producing a plurality of optical frequencies.

Abstract: A method of simultaneously specifying the wavelength dispersion and nonlinear coefficient of an optical fiber. Pulsed probe light and pulsed pump light are first caused to enter an optical fiber to be measured. Then, the power oscillation of the back-scattered light of the probe light or idler light generated within the optical fiber is measured. Next, the instantaneous frequency of the measured power oscillation is obtained, and the dependency of the instantaneous frequency relative to the power oscillation of the pump light in a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber is obtained. Thereafter, a rate of change in the longitudinal direction between phase-mismatching conditions and nonlinear coefficient of the optical fiber is obtained from the dependency of the instantaneous frequency. And based on the rate of change, the longitudinal wavelength-dispersion distribution and longitudinal nonlinear-coefficient distribution of thee optical fiber are simultaneously specified.

Abstract: A method of simultaneously specifying the wavelength dispersion and nonlinear coefficient of an optical fiber. Pulsed probe light and pulsed pump light are first caused to enter an optical fiber to be measured. Then, the power oscillation of the back-scattered light of the probe light or idler light generated within the optical fiber is measured. Next, the instantaneous frequency of the measured power oscillation is obtained, and the dependency of the instantaneous frequency relative to the power oscillation of the pump light in a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber is obtained. Thereafter, a rate of change in the longitudinal direction between phase-mismatching conditions and nonlinear coefficient of the optical fiber is obtained from the dependency of the instantaneous frequency. And based on the rate of change, the longitudinal wavelength-dispersion distribution and longitudinal nonlinear-coefficient distribution of the optical fiber are simultaneously specified.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pulse train generator comprising: a dual-frequency signal light source for generating a dual-frequency signal; a soliton shaper for soliton-shaping output light from the dual-frequency signal light source; and an adiabatic soliton compressor for performing adiabatic soliton compression on output light from the soliton shaper, and also provides a waveform shaper used in this pulse train generator, including a plurality of highly nonlinear optical transmission lines and a plurality of low-nonlinearity optical transmission lines which has a nonlinearity coefficient lower than that of the plurality of highly nonlinear optical transmission lines and which has a second-order dispersion value of which an absolute value is different from that of the plurality of highly nonlinear optical transmission lines.

Abstract: An optical pulse generator comprises a comb-like dispersion profiled fiber formed into an optical loop mirror. The fiber may comprise three or more segments of fiber having alternating highly dispersive and highly nonlinear characteristics. The optical loop mirror construction splits an input pulse into two portions that propagate through the CDPF in opposite directions. The pulse portions are re-combined, and a compressed pulse with reduced noise is produced.

Abstract: A waveform converter for altering the waveform and optical spectrum of an optical signal may comprise a nonlinear element having a nonlinear effect on optical pulses, a dispersion element having a dispersion effect on optical pulses, and a wavelength selecting element configured to select spectral components in a desired wavelength region.

Abstract: A method of simultaneously specifying the wavelength dispersion and nonlinear coefficient of an optical fiber. Pulsed probe light and pulsed pump light are first caused to enter an optical fiber to be measured. Then, the power oscillation of the back-scattered light of the probe light or idler light generated within the optical fiber is measured. Next, the instantaneous frequency of the measured power oscillation is obtained, and the dependency of the instantaneous frequency relative to the power oscillation of the pump light in a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber is obtained. Thereafter, a rate of change in the longitudinal direction between phase-mismatching conditions and nonlinear coefficient of the optical fiber is obtained from the dependency of the instantaneous frequency. And based on the rate of change, the longitudinal wavelength-dispersion distribution and longitudinal nonlinear-coefficient distribution of thee optical fiber are simultaneously specified.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for generating four-wave mixing to obtain idler light with high efficiency, in which the range of lengths of an optical fiber is appropriately set, and probe light and pumping light, having different frequencies, are launched into the optical fiber. When the nonlinear coefficient of the optical fiber, the loss per unit distance, and the wavelength and intensity of the probe light and pumping light are set to certain values, the idler light conversion efficiency at the output end of the optical fiber is a periodic function of an optical fiber having a maximal value and a minimal value. The maximum length of the optical fiber to be used to obtain four-wave mixing is set to be equal to or less than the length Lmax (Lmax=Lm+&Dgr;L) which is given by adding the length of the optical fiber Lm, at which the idler light conversion efficiency takes on the first maximal value in the aforementioned periodic function and distance &Dgr;L or 10% of L.

Abstract: A multi-frequency light producing method and apparatus multiplies the number of optical channels present in an incident wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal light source by four-wave mixing (FWM) the WDM signal with at least one pump lightwave at least one time. By FWM the WDM light and a pump lightwave multiple times, wherein each FWM process is executed with a pump lightwave having a different frequency, either in series or parallel, the number of optical channels produced as a result of FWM effectively increases the number of optical channels present in addition to those from the WDM signal. The light producing method and apparatus can be employed in a telecommunications system as a an inexpensive light source producing a plurality of optical frequencies.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for generating four-wave mixing to obtain idler light with high efficiency, in which the range of lengths of an optical fiber is appropriately set, and probe light and pumping light, having different frequencies, are launched into the optical fiber. When the nonlinear coefficient of the optical fiber, the loss per unit distance, and the wavelength and intensity of the probe light and pumping light are set to certain values, the idler light conversion efficiency at the output end of the optical fiber is a periodic function with respect to optical fiber length having a maximal value and a minimal value. The maximum length of the optical fiber to be used to obtain four-wave mixing is set to be equal to or less than the length Lmax (Lmax=Lm+&Dgr;L) which is given by adding the length of the optical fiber Lm, at which the idler light conversion efficiency takes on the first maximal value in the aforementioned periodic function and distance &Dgr;L or 10% of Lm.

Abstract: An optical pulse generator comprises a comb-like dispersion profiled fiber formed into an optical loop mirror. The fiber may comprise three or more segments of fiber having alternating highly dispersive and highly nonlinear characteristics. The optical loop mirror construction splits an input pulse into two portions that propagate through the CDPF in opposite directions. The pulse portions are re-combined, and a compressed pulse with reduced noise is produced.

Abstract: A waveform converter for altering the waveform and optical spectrum of an optical signal may comprise a nonlinear element having a nonlinear effect on optical pulses, a dispersion element having a dispersion effect on optical pulses, and a wavelength selecting element configured to select spectral components in a desired wavelength region.

Abstract: There is provided an optical telecommunications method that can externally modulate a plane of polarization without producing any null point. According to the invention, in an optical telecommunications system for externally modulating the plane of polarization of the light being transmitted through an optical fiber for the transmission of a polarized wave signal by externally applying a signal to modify the state of polarization, the source of light for the transmission of a polarized wave signal is a fiber ring laser.