Group velocity manipulation in active fibers using mutually modulated cross-gain modulation: from ultraslow to superluminal propagation

Opt Lett. 2011 Jun 15;36(12):2185-7. doi: 10.1364/OL.36.002185.

Abstract

We propose and experimentally demonstrate the propagation of slow/fast light in an erbium-doped fiber (EDF) using mutually modulated cross-gain modulation. The group velocity of the light signal can be manipulated by the effect of gain cross-saturation modulation by a saturating light at an arbitrary wavelength in the gain bandwidth of the EDF. The ultraslow propagation with a small group velocity of 5.6 × 10⁻³c (c is the light speed in free space) and superluminal propagation with a negative group velocity of -1.1 × 10⁻³c has been observed under different modulation phases.