Laser-diode-driven ultrafast all-optical switching by using highly nonlinear chalcogenide glass fiber

Abstract

Laser-diode-driven all-optical switching is demonstrated with an As2S3-based glass fiber only 2 m long and assistance from an erbium-doped fiber amplifier. The laser-diode operation makes it easy to control ultrafast pulse trains with low timing jitter. Ultrafast switching at as much as 80-GHz repetition rates is successfully demonstrated. The nonlinear refractive index of the fiber is estimated to be 9.3 × 10−15 (cm2/W) at a 1.55-μm wavelength.