Open AccessNonlinear spectrum broadening of femtosecond laser pulses in photorefractive waveguide arrays
Author(s) -
Zhe Wang,
Qiang Wu,
Chengliang Yang,
Xinzheng Zhang,
Zhigang Chen,
R. A. Rupp,
Jingjun Xu
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.18.010112
Subject(s) - femtosecond , optics , materials science , laser , self phase modulation , doppler broadening , photorefractive effect , femtosecond pulse shaping , modulation (music) , phase (matter) , pulse (music) , ultrashort pulse , phase modulation , nonlinear optics , physics , spectral line , phase noise , quantum mechanics , astronomy , detector , acoustics
In photorefractive waveguide arrays, the process and extent of spectral broadening of femtosecond laser pulse caused by self-phase modulation are studied theoretically and experimentally. The threshold of self-phase modulation is more than two times larger than the common threshold in a bulk sample, which affects the extent of spectral broadening dramatically. The coupling length and the ratio between the common threshold and the input peak intensity of the femtosecond laser pulse are the two key parameters dominating these phenomena. The experimental results confirm the theoretical expectation.