title: In-line polarization-dependent microfiber interferometers and their applications in UWB signal generation.
abstract: A novel in-line polarization-dependent microfiber interferometer (PD-MFI) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated, which is tapered from a commercial polarization-maintaining fiber. Different from conventional MFIs, the transmission spectra of such MFIs are highly polarization-dependent, due to the mode-sensitive birefringence. The experimental results agree well with the theoretical predictions. Moreover, exploiting the polarization-dependent property of PD-MFIs, we demonstrate a simple and flexible scheme of generating polarity-switchable ultra-wideband pulses in the optical domain. Doublet pulses with a central frequency of 6.28 GHz and a 10-dB bandwidth of 7.86 GHz are obtained. Hence, with the advantages of being fiberized, simple fabrication and robustness, these PD-MFIs can be attractive elements in optical signal processing, optical sensing, optical fiber communication, and microwave photonics.
authors.affiliation: Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics & School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jihua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jianji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xinliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007368:Interferometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008904:Miniaturization; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000295:instrumentation*