Before the 1960s, all anti-Stokes emissions, which were known to exist, involved emission energies in excess of excitation energies by only a few kT. They were linked to thermal population of energy states above excitation states by such an energy amount. It was the well-known case of anti-Stokes emission for the so-called thermal bands or in the Raman effect for the well-known anti-Stokes sidebands. Thermoluminescence, where traps are emptied by excitation energies of the order of kT, also constituted a field of anti-Stokes emission of its own. Superexcitation, i.e., raising an already excited electron to an even higher level by excited-state absorption (ESA), was also known but with very weak emissions. These types of well-known anti-Stokes processes have been reviewed in classical textbooks on luminescence.1 All fluorescence light emitters usually follow the well-known principle of the Stokes law which simply states that excitation photons are at a higher energy than emitted ones or, in other words, that output photon energy is weaker than input photon energy. This, in a sense, is an indirect statement that efficiency cannot be larger than 1. This principle is

Upconversion and Anti-Stokes Processes with f and d Ions in Solids

The rise in output power from rare-earth-doped fiber sources over the past decade, via the use of cladding-pumped fiber architectures, has been dramatic, leading to a range of fiber-based devices with outstanding performance in terms of output power, beam quality, overall efficiency, and flexibility with regard to operating wavelength and radiation format. This success in the high-power arena is largely due to the fiber’s geometry, which provides considerable resilience to the effects of heat generation in the core, and facilitates efficient conversion from relatively low-brightness diode pump radiation to high-brightness laser output. In this paper we review the current state of the art in terms of continuous-wave and pulsed performance of ytterbium-doped fiber lasers, the current fiber gain medium of choice, and by far the most developed in terms of high-power performance. We then review the current status and challenges of extending the technology to other rare-earth dopants and associated wavelengths of operation. Throughout we identify the key factors currently limiting fiber laser performance in different operating regimes—in particular thermal management, optical nonlinearity, and damage. Finally, we speculate as to the likely developments in pump laser technology, fiber design and fabrication, architectural approaches, and functionality that lie ahead in the coming decade and the implications they have on fiber laser performance and industrial/scientific adoption.

High power fiber lasers: current status and future perspectives [Invited]

The sustained growth of data traffic volume calls for an introduction of an efficient and scalable transport platform for links of 100 Gb/s and beyond in the future optical network. In this article, after briefly reviewing the existing major technology options, we propose a novel, spectrum- efficient, and scalable optical transport network architecture called SLICE. The SLICE architecture enables sub-wavelength, superwavelength, and multiple-rate data traffic accommodation in a highly spectrum-efficient manner, thereby providing a fractional bandwidth service. Dynamic bandwidth variation of elastic optical paths provides network operators with new business opportunities offering cost-effective and highly available connectivity services through time-dependent bandwidth sharing, energy-efficient network operation, and highly survivable restoration with bandwidth squeezing. We also discuss an optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing-based flexible-rate transponder and a bandwidth-variable wavelength cross-connect as the enabling technologies of SLICE concept. Finally, we present the performance evaluation and technical challenges that arise in this new network architecture.

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Spectrum-efficient and scalable elastic optical path network: architecture, benefits, and enabling technologies

Temperature (T) is probably the most fundamental parameter in all kinds of science. Respective sensors are widely used in daily life. Besides conventional thermometers, optical sensors are considered to be attractive alternatives for sensing and on-line monitoring of T. This Review article focuses on all kinds of luminescent probes and sensors for measurement of T, and summarizes the recent progress in their design and application formats. The introduction covers the importance of optical probes for T, the origin of their T-dependent spectra, and the various detection modes. This is followed by a survey on (a) molecular probes, (b) nanomaterials, and (c) bulk materials for sensing T. This section will be completed by a discussion of (d) polymeric matrices for immobilizing T-sensitive probes and (e) an overview of the various application formats of T-sensors. The review ends with a discussion on the prospects, challenges, and new directions in the design of optical T-sensitive probes and sensors.

Luminescent probes and sensors for temperature.

The present invention is directed to secreted and transmembrane polypeptides and to nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides. Also provided herein are vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, antibodies which bind to the polypeptides of the present invention and to methods for producing the polypeptides of the present invention.

Secreted and Transmembrane Polypeptides and Nucleic Acids Encoding the Same

A solution-doping technique is reported for the reproducible fabrication of low-loss optical fibres containing up to 4000 parts in 106 of rare-earth ions. The method produces excellent dopant uniformity and is sufficiently versatile to allow codoping with different ions.

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Solution-doping technique for fabrication of rare-earth-doped optical fibres

We present a novel wavelength selective switch (WSS) based on a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) switching element. The unit operates simultaneously at both 50 and 100 GHz channel spacing and is compatible with 40 G transmission requirements.

Highly programmable wavelength selective switch based on liquid crystal on silicon switching elements

Fibres containing rare-earth ions have been produced by an extended MCVD process. The fibres have very high absorption levels in the visible and near infra-red regions, without significantly compromising the low-loss characteristics of the fibre at wavelengths between 950 and 1400 nm.

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Fabrication of low-loss optical fibres containing rare-earth ions

We experimentally demonstrate dispersion compensation in a wavelength selective switch, and characterize the bandwidth-dispersion product. At a channel bit-rate of 80 Gbit/s, we compensate for various amounts of dispersion (up to ±60 ps/nm), tunable for each wavelength division multiplexed channel, solely by adjusting the phase front of the optical signal inside the wavelength selective switch. Error-free operation is obtained for all of the channels, and for each output port after propagation over various lengths of dispersive fiber.

Dispersion Trimming in a Reconfigurable Wavelength Selective Switch

We report the first CW operation of a neodymium-doped silica single-mode fibre laser pumped by a GaAIAs laser diode. A laser threshold of less than 1 mW has been obtained.

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Simon Poole

Papers

Solution-doping technique for fabrication of rare-earth-doped optical fibres

Highly programmable wavelength selective switch based on liquid crystal on silicon switching elements

Fabrication of low-loss optical fibres containing rare-earth ions

Dispersion Trimming in a Reconfigurable Wavelength Selective Switch

Neodymium-doped silica single-mode fibre lasers