Noise-like pulse generation by amplified well-defined pulse in an optical fiber with negative group velocity dispersion

Abstract

We experimentally and numerically demonstrate that noise-like pulses (NLPs) can be generated by pumping well-defined pulses (WDPs) into an optical fiber amplifier at a wavelength in the region of negative group velocity dispersion. Through investigating the evolution of the optical pulses, it is realized that the output pulses consist of NLPs at the pump wavelength and split solitons at Stokes wavelengths, due to intrapulse Raman scattering followed by the process of soliton fission. Such process of pulse breakup results in the generation of sub-pulses that have peak powers much higher than the unbroken WDPs have, enabling WDPs to strongly induce nonlinear effects. This finding resolves the discrepancy between the experiment and simulation results of supercontinuum generation by using picosecond WDPs in previous research.