Highly Functional All-Optical Control Using Ultrafast Nonlinear Effects in Optical Fibers

Using the optical fibers and ultrashort pulses, we can demonstrate highly functional optical control. We have succeeded in generation of low-noise, ultraflat, high-quality supercontinuum (SC). Recently, octave spanning high-quality SC is also generated. The carrier envelope offset frequency measurement and ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography are demonstrated using SC. We can also generate widely wavelength-tunable ultrashort soliton pulses using soliton self-frequency shift (SSFS). So far, several new techniques have been proposed and demonstrated using SSFS. The author has also discovered novel two-pulse trapping phenomena. The ultrafast all-optical switching is demonstrated using the pulse trapping techniques, and principles and characteristics are described.