Pulse-width tunable, self-frequency conversion ofshort optical pulses over 200 nm based onsupercontinuum generation

Self-frequency conversion of ultrashort optical pulses into arbitrary multiwavelength components without the use of a pump is achieved by using supercontinuum generation. Frequency conversion of a randomly-modulated 1.535 – 1.560 µm, 2.5 ps pulse stream at 6.3 Gbit/s into 1.44 – 1.64 µm, 0.29 – 1.0 ps pulse streams is demonstrated for the first time. The method features ultrawide tunability of over 200 nm, and multiwavelength, pulse-width-tunable output for flexible WDM distribution networks.