Third Order Ultrafast Optical Pulse Diagnostics for Fiber-Optic Telecommunication Systems

University of Arizona
posted on 11/06/2009

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Summary: Fiber-optic telecommunication systems transmit and receive signals at ever faster rates. For sub-picosecond laser pulses to be used at telecommunication wavelengths, ultrafast pulse diagnostics are required to maintain the pulse rate of the entire system. This invention from researchers in The University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences provides a method and a device to characterize ultra-short optical pulses that have durations of picoseconds or femtoseconds. It is based on a thin film, optically transparent, organic material in which efficient third-harmonic generation occurs when the optical material is excited by ultrafast pulses at telecommunication wavelengths. A third harmonic signal is generated at one-third the wavelength of the optical pulse. Amplitude is measured with the third harmonic signal as a function of time, and phase is measured with a spectrally resolved third harmonic signal. The optical material composition includes an electron donor group, an electron acceptor group, and a conjugated structure having pi-bonds which connects the electron donor group to the electron acceptor group. The thin film device provides a low-cost, sensitive, third-order autocorrelator that can be used to simultaneously measure amplitude and phase for ultra-short laser pulses, i.e., providing a diagnostic technique for a high-speed fiber-optic telecommunication system.

Applications:
• Low cost diagnostics of femtosecond and picosecond pulses in fiber-optic telecommunication systems

Advantages:
• Low cost, thin film device for simultaneously measuring phase and amplitude
• Ultra-short pulse diagnostic capabilities
• Employs a third harmonic pulse measurement method, with the benefits of: (i) no phase matching required; and (ii) amplitude and phase can be measured simultaneously without the use of frequency resolved optical gating (FROG).

Status:
• US Patent 7,612,935 'Third-order optical autocorrelator for time-domain operation at the telecommunication wavelengths' issued on November 3, 2009
• Seeking commercial partner to license.

Inventors: Gabriel Ramos-Ortiz, Ph.D.; Prof. Myoungsik Cha; Prof. Seth R. Marder; and Prof. Bernard Kippelen

Refer to Case No. UA03-025