Frequency-selective excitation of guided acoustic modes in a photonic crystal fiber.

We present experimental and numerical results demonstrating the simultaneous frequency-selective excitation of several guided acoustic Brillouin modes in a photonic crystal fiber with a multi-scale structure design. These guided acoustic modes are identified by using a full vector finite-element model to result from elastic radial vibrations confined by the wavelength-scale air-silica microstructure. We further show the strong impact of structural irregularities of the fiber on the frequency and modal shape of these acoustic resonances.

Photonic crystal fiber mapping using Brillouin echoes distributed sensing.

In this paper we investigate the effect of microstructure irregularities and applied strain on backward Brillouin scattering by comparing two photonic crystal fibers drawn with different parameters in order to minimize diameter and microstructure fluctuations. We fully characterize their Brillouin properties including the gain spectrum and the critical power. Using Brillouin echoes distributed sensing with a high spatial resolution of 30 cm we are able to map the Brillouin frequency shift along the fiber and get an accurate estimation of the microstructure longitudinal fluctuations.

Polarization dynamics of the fundamental vector soliton of isotropic Kerr media.

We characterize fully the polarization dynamics of the fundamental vector soliton of isotropic Kerr materials by measuring the Stokes parameters of an elliptically polarized self-trapped optical beam propagating in a slab planar waveguide. Our experiment clearly shows that this two-component spatial vector soliton exhibits both the so-called ellipse rotation and curved-shape ellipticity that are due to the self-induced nonlinear birefringence between the two components of the vector soliton. The polarization of the vector soliton is accurately determined both in the transverse and longitudinal directions and comparisons with numerical simulations based on two coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations provide an excellent quantitative agreement.

Generation of multicolor vector Kerr solitons by cross-phase modulation, four-wave mixing, and stimulated Raman scattering.

We numerically and experimentally show the existence of multicolor vector spatial solitons in a Kerr planar waveguide through the combined effects of cross-phase modulation, four-wave mixing, and stimulated Raman scattering. Mutual spatial guiding of the Raman-Stokes, anti-Stokes, and pump waves is achieved in the high-conversion regime mainly by cross-phase modulation and phase-matched four-wave mixing induced by a power imbalance between Stokes and anti-Stokes components, leading to the generation of a clear-cut sech-shape three-frequency spatial soliton.

Experimental observation of the elliptically polarized fundamental vector soliton of isotropic Kerr media.

We report the experimental observation of the elliptically polarized fundamental vector soliton of isotropic Kerr media and its unique polarization evolution. This was achieved in the spatial domain in a nonbirefringent CS2 planar waveguide.