Year: 2017
Type: article
Abstract: When an optical pulse propagates along an optical fibre, different wavelengths travel at different group velocities. As a result, wavelength information is converted into arrival-time information, a process known as wavelength-to-time mapping. This phenomenon is most cleanly observed using a single-mode fibre transmission line, where spatial mode dispersion is not present, but the use of such fibres restricts possible applications. Here we demonstrate that photonic lanterns based on tapered single-mode multicore fibres provide an efficient way to couple multimode light to an array of single-photon avalanche detectors, each of which has its own time-to-digital converter for time-correlated single-photon counting. Exploiting this capability, we demonstrate the multiplexed single-mode wavelength-to-time mapping of multimode light using a multicore fibre photonic lantern with 121 single-mode cores, coupled to 121 detectors on a 32 × 32 detector array. This work paves the way to efficient multimode wavelength-to-time mapping systems with the spectral performance of single-mode systems.
Source: Nature Communications
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14080
Language: English
Topic: Optical Network Technologies
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,696
Awards: Astrophotonic applications of ultrafast laser inscription, G2480968669, Multiplexed 'Touch and Tell' Optical Molecular Sensing and Imaging, Development of an Instrument for Rapidly Detecting Cryptosporidium in Drinking Water, Development of an Instrument for Rapidly Detecting Cryptosporidium in Drinking Water, G438702684, G4554086864, G4677536416, Development of an Instrument for Rapidly Detecting Cryptosporidium in Drinking Water, G6421454818, G789800706
OpenAlex ID: W2338737349