Photonic Systems Group

University of California, San Diego

OVERCOMING KERR-INDUCED CAPACITY LIMIT

We have solved the long standing conundrum about the inability of reversing the Kerr-induced nonlinear cross-talk in fiber optic transmission, thereby breaking the key barriers that limit the distance information can travel in fiber optic cables and still be accurately deciphered by a receiver. This advance has the potential to increase the data transmission rates for the fiber optic cables that serve as the backbone of the Internet, cable, wireless and landline networks. The research is published in the June 26, 2015 issue of the journal Science.

ULTRAFAST LIGHT CONTROL BY THREE PHOTONS

We demonstrate all-optical light control by few photons with 500 GHz speed. The method relies on pump depletion in the dispersion engineered parametric fiber mixer. Mixer dispersion design ensures the enhanced energy exchange among the interacting waves, thus allowing the control of the Watt-strong pump wave by three-photon signal. The research is published in the June 19 2014 issue of the journal Science.

SUBNOISE DETECTION OF A FAST RANDOM EVENT

We have demonstrated detection of a single optical event by combining signal cloning with frequency combs and signal-processing techniques. Our detector can detect signals buried within noise, that is undetectable with conventional detection schemes.

The research is published in the December 11, 2015 issue of the journal Science.

WELCOME

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The Photonic Systems Laboratory currently supports multiple research thrusts in signal processing, sensing, and communications. The group has developed a new class of parametric devices and used them to achieve records in terabit-scale signal processing, analog-to-digital signal conversion, and high-quality wide-band frequency combs. The core capability of the laboratory, nanometer-scale mixer synthesis, is enabled by a unique facility developed over a half-decade period. The new technology is currently used to construct new classes of agile oscillators and signal processors capable of establishing new records in signal speed, fidelity, and dissipation.

In the second thrust, the laboratory hosts research on communication and sensing in bandwidth constrained physical channels. This technology has led to record spectral efficiencies in optical and free-space links and is currently being developed in both optical and RF domains.