The purpose of this laboratory course is to expose students to state-of-the-art applications of fiber optic technologies that include continuous-wave (cw) and pulsed fiber lasers, high-speed digital fiber optic communication systems, microwave photonic links, and non-linear fiber optic signal processing and sensors. The first part of the course will focus on a thorough characterization of fiber laser systems starting with the erbium-doped fiber amplifier and implementing different laser configurations that include multi-mode cw operation, Q-switching and relaxation oscillations, non-linear based mode-locking and single longitudinal mode operation. All of the measurements will be compared to theoretical models. This will provide students with hands-on experience with concepts that are applicable to all laser systems. In the latter part of the course, students will select a few topics that demonstrate both modern fiber optic systems based on cw lasers, external electro-optic modulators and high-speed photodetectors and applications of nonlinear fiber optics using self-phase modulation, stimulated Brillouin scattering, stimulated Raman scattering, and four wave mixing. These topics highlight the breadth of applications of modern fiber optic systems. Again, all of the experiments will be compared to theoretical models.
Course Prerequisite(s)
EN.525.691 Fundamentals of Photonics or EN.615.751 Modern Optics or equivalent.