Novel optical fiber design for low-cost optical interconnects in consumer applications.

We propose a novel fiber design optimized for short-reach interconnects in consumer applications. A detailed analysis of the optical and mechanical properties of this fiber design is presented. Results are presented demonstrating (i) low bend loss and enhanced mechanical reliability in bends as small as 3 mm diameter; (ii) high power budget margin to enable relaxed mechanical tolerances on transmitter, receiver, and expanded-beam connectors for low-cost connectivity; and (iii) high bandwidth capability and system testing results at 10 Gb/s.

Frequency shifting through cascaded second-order processes in a N-(4-nitrophenyl)- L-prolinol crystal.

We exploit the high second-order susceptibility of the organic crystal N-(4-nitrophenyl)-L-prolinol to accomplish, through a cascaded second-order process, wavelength conversion of a signal pulse (from 1.16 to 1.14 microm) under the action of a pump pulse (at 1.15 microm). In a 2.8-mm-thick crystal, wavelength conversion with unit gain was obtained with a pump peak intensity as low as 9 MW/cm(2) . At low intensities, in the limit of negligible conversion where the cascading effect can be described through an effective third-order susceptibility, we derive |(x)((3))(eff) | approximately 2.4 x 10(-17) m(2)/V(2), which is ~10(2) larger than the nonresonant (x)((3)) of conjugated polymers or semiconductors.

Measurement of the two-photon absorption coefficient of semiconductor nanocrystals by using tunable femtosecond pulses.

By using femtosecond pulses from traveling-wave parametric generation we have accurately measured the absolute value and the frequency dispersion of the two-photon absorption coefficient of semiconductor nanocrystals embedded in a glass matrix. Comparison is made with bulk semiconductors.