Wavelength conversion through soliton self-frequency shift in tellurite microstructured fiber with picosecond pump pulse

Wavelength conversion to the wavelength range that is not covered by commercially available lasers could be accomplished through the soliton self-frequency shift (SSFS) effect. In this study, the phenomenon of SSFS pumped by a picosecond-order pulse in a tellurite microstructured fiber is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The balance between the dispersion and the nonlinearity achieved by a 1958 nm pump laser induces a distinct SSFS effect. Attributed to the large spectral distance between the pump pulse and the fiber zero-dispersion wavelength, the SSFS is not cancelled due to energy shedding from the soliton to the dispersive wave. Details about the physical mechanisms behind this phenomenon and the variations of the wavelength shift, the conversion efficiency are revealed based on numerical simulations. Owing to the large soliton number N, the pulse width of the first split fundamental soliton is approximately 40 fs, producing a pulse compression factor of similar to 38, much higher than that pumped by a femtosecond pulse. Experiments were also conducted to confirm the validity of the simulation results. By varying the pump power, a continuous soliton shift from 1990 nm to 2264 nm was generated. The generation of SSFS in tellurite microstructured fibers with picosecond pump pulse can provide a new approach for wavelength conversion in the mid-infrared range and could be useful in medical and some other areas. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.