OPTICS IN 2008
Repetition Rate Multiplication Using
All-Pass Optical Structures
Miguel A. Preciado and Miguel A. Muriel
T echniques for creating ultrahigh
repetition rate pulse trains are
highly sought after for future ultrahigh-
speed optical communication systems.
Researchers have explored several strate-
gies for generating periodic pulse trains
at repetition rates beyond those achiev-
able by mode locking or direct modula-
tion. One alternative is pulse repetition
rate multiplication (PRRM) of a lower
rate source by applying phase-only
spectral filtering, usually based on the
temporal Talbot effect.1
We have recently proposed several
all-pass structures based on optical
cavities; these perform phase-only
spectral filtering for the implementa-
tion of repetition-rate multipliers of a
periodic pulse train with uniform output
train envelopes.2,3 We found optimum
solutions for 23, 33, 43, 63 and 123
multiplication factors. As can be seen
in part (a) of the figure, the proposed
optical structures are composed of 1-4
ring resonators (RRs). We found that a
single RR structure can achieve three
factors of repetition-rate multiplication
(23, 33 and 43), being specially suited
for 23 in terms of accuracy and robust-
ness.2 We presented two structures that
achieve accurate and robust solutions for
33 and 43 PRRM, both composed of
two identical RRs in cascade or coupled
configuration.3 We have also proposed
several optical structures for 63 and 123
PRRM by combining filters of 23, 33
and 43 PRRM.3
Parts (b) and (c) show the results
numerically for two of our studies.2,3
Part (b) shows the output pulse train
intensity numerically obtained for 23
repetition rate multiplication, where an
input repetition rate of 100 GHz was
assumed. Part (c) shows the output pulse
train intensity numerically obtained
for 33, 43, 63 and 123 multiplication
factors, with an input repetition rate of
Optical Engineering
(a) Input periodic pulse train
All-pass
Output periodic pulse train
optical
a1(t) structure a2(t)
Proposed structures
(b)
0.5
Intensity [a.u.]
0.25 2x
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time [ps]
(c)
0.3
Intensity [a.u.]
0.2
0.1
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Time [ps]
(a) Schematic of the system. The periodic pulse train is processed by the all-pass optical
structure. We propose nine optical structures composed of multiple RRs. (b) Output pulse
train intensity of examples for 23 multiplication with a single all-pass RR. (c) Output pulse
train intensity of examples for 33 (blue), 43 (red), 63 (green) and 123 (yellow) multiplication
and the respective optical structures.
10 GHz. The RR parameters obtained in typically composed of the mode comb of
these examples are readily feasible. We the laser, to the spectral response of the
have also analyzed the effect of RR losses optical structure. t
on the energetic efficiency and the out-
Miguel A. Preciado (ma.preciado@upm.es) and
put pulse train envelope uniformity and Miguel A. Muriel are with the Universidad Politecnica
the effect of the frequency deviations on de Madrid in Madrid, Spain.
the envelope uniformity.3 References
In conclusion, these structures are 1. J. Azaña and M.A. Muriel. “Temporal Talbot effect in fiber
readily feasible and present an intrinsic gratings and its applications,” Appl. Opt. 38, 6700-4
(1999).
high energetic efficiency, ideally of 100 2. M.A. Preciado and M.A. Muriel. “Repetition rate multiplica-
percent, that is only limited by inter- tion using a single all-pass optical cavity,” Opt. Lett. 33,
962-4 (2008).
nal RR losses. It is worth noting that, 3. M.A. Preciado and M.A. Muriel. “All-pass optical structures
like other spectrally periodic filtering for repetition rate multiplication,” Opt. Express 16, 11162-8
techniques based in optical cavities,4 (2008).
4. J. Chen et al. “Generation of low-timing-jitter femtosecond
the system requires the locking of the pulse trains with 2 GHz repetition rate via external repeti-
spectrum of the input signal, which is tion rate multiplication,” Opt. Lett. 33, 959-61 (2008).
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