Generation, propagation, and amplification of dark solitons
W. Zhao and E. Bourkoff
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
The University of South Carolina,
Columbia, South Carolina, 29208
Abstract:
The technique for generating dark solitons with constant background using
guided-wave Mach–Zehnder interferometers is further examined. Under
optimal conditions, a reduction of 30% in both the input optical power and
the driving voltage can be achieved, as compared with the case of complete
modulation. Dark solitons are also found to experience compression through
amplification. When the gain coefficient is small, adiabatic amplification
is possible. Raman amplification can be used as the gain mechanism for
adiabatic amplification, in addition to being used for loss-compensation.
The frequency and time shifts caused by intrapulse stimulated Raman
scattering are both found to be a factor of 2 smaller than those for bright
solitons. Finally, the propagation properties of even dark pulses are
described quantitatively.