From spectral broadening to recompression: dynamics of incoherent optical waves propagating in the fiber

Interplay between dispersion and nonlinearity in optical fibers is a fundamental research topic of nonlinear fiber optics. Here we numerically and experimentally investigate an incoherent continuous-wave (CW) optical field propagating in the fiber with normal dispersion, and introduce a distinctive spectral evolution that differs from the previous reports with coherent mode-locked fiber lasers and partially coherent Raman fiber lasers [Nat. Photonics 9, 608 (2015).]. We further reveal that the underlying physical mechanism is attributed to a novel interplay between group-velocity dispersion (GVD), self-phase modulation (SPM) and inverse four-wave mixing (IFWM), in which SPM and GVD are responsible for the first spectral broadening, while the following spectral recompression is due to the GVD-assisted IFWM, and the eventual stationary spectrum is owing to the dominant contribution of GVD effect. We believe this work can not only expand the light propagation in the fiber to a more general case and help advance the physical understanding of light propagation with different statistical properties, but also benefit the applications in sensing, telecommunications and fiber lasers.

Automated summary

This research investigates the interplay between dispersion and nonlinearity in optical fibers, focusing on the spectral evolution of incoherent continuous-wave optical fields in fibers with normal dispersion. The study reveals a novel interaction between group-velocity dispersion, self-phase modulation, and inverse four-wave mixing, leading to unique spectral behavior. The ultimate stationary spectrum is primarily attributed to the dominant contribution of group-velocity dispersion effect.