We describe the first highly nonlinear dispersion-flattened polarization-maintaining photonic crystal fiber designed for nonlinear optics applications in the 1.55 µm region. The nonlinear coefficient of the fiber is 19 (W-1km-1), which is ten times that of dispersion shifted fiber. The chromatic dispersion and dispersion slope of the fiber at 1.55 µm are -0.23 ps/km/nm and 0.01 ps/km/nm2, respectively. We demonstrate the generation of a supercontinuum using the photonic crystal fiber. A symmetrical supercontinuum over 40 nm is obtained by injecting 1562 nm, 2.2 ps, and 40 GHz optical pulses into the 200 m-long photonic crystal fiber.

Recent progress in ultrahigh bit rate optical transmission using time-division multiplexing and wavelength-division multiplexing is described. Latest over 1 Tbit/s transmission experiments are shown and the possibility of higher bit rate transmission is discussed.

Recent progress in ultrahigh bit rate optical transmission using time-division multiplexing and wavelength-division multiplexing is described. Latest over 1 Tbit/s transmission experiments are shown and the possibility of higher bit rate transmission is discussed.

This paper presents 160-Gbit/s full channel time-division demultiplexing using a semiconductor optical amplifier hybrid integrated demultiplexer on a planer lightwave circuit. Error-free demultiplexing from a 160-Gbit/s signal to 8 channel 20 Gbit/s signals is successfully demonstrated. Results of a 160-Gbit/s optical time-division-multiplexed full channel OTDM signal transmission experiment using the circuit and successful 80-km transmission are presented.

Recent progress on the ultrahigh-speed optical transmission experiments are reviewed including the ultrashort pulse generation, high-speed timing extraction, all-optical multi/demultiplexing. Also discussed are the latest 100 Gbit/s experiments and a scope to higher bit-rate, longer distance optical transmission.

High-speed NRZ-DMI coder and decoder monolithic ICs employing novel circuits suitable for high-speed operation have been developed using Si bipolar technology. They operate up to 1.8 Gb/s with a 3.6 GHz clock frequency. Power dissipations of the coder and decoder are 872 mW and 1333 mW, respectively.

We investigate the relaxation oscillation characteristics of an actively mode-locked fiber laser and a novel stabilizing method of the laser theoretically and experimentally. The stabilizing method controls cavity length to suppress the rf power of the relaxation oscillation frequency of the laser output, and can directly monitor the stability of the laser to ensure the most stable operation. With this method, the rf power ratio between mode-locking frequency and the background noise can be kept to more than 70 dB, and highly stable transform-limited pulse generation is achieved. Bit-error-free operation at 6. 3 GHz over 10 hours is successfully demonstrated. The stability of the center wavelength of the laser output and the required accuracy of cavity control for high-speed laser operation are also discussed.

We demonstrate a simple BER monitoring method for WDM signals. Newly developed 32-channel wavelength selector based on thermo-optic switch and AWG is used. The BER of each channel is estimated from opened eye-diagrams obtained by asynchronous sampling. Good BER monitoring performance is confirmed.

Recent progress on photonic crystal fibers is reviewed aiming at their application to high performance networks. A photonic crystal fiber has an array of air holes surrounding the silica core region. Light is confined to the core by the refractive index difference between the core and the array of air holes. Photonic crystal fibers have special characteristics compared with conventional single mode fibers. One is that the dispersion characteristics can be designed. Another characteristic, that strong birefringence can be established by sizing and/or arranging the air holes, is expected to realize a polarization maintaining fiber with high birefringence of the order of 110-3. This paper will describe the characteristics of dispersion controlled PCFs and polarization maintaining PCFs that include supercontinuum generation and absolute single polarization characteristics for various types of optical devices in high performance network systems.