All-Optical Switches for Optical Soliton Interactions in a Birefringent Fiber

Interactions among optical solitons can be used to develop photonic information processing devices such as alloptical switches and all-optical logic gates. It is the key to achieve high-speed, high-capacity all-optical networks and optical computers, which is also important in academy. We study the properties of all-optical switches of optical solitons in birefringent fibers, based on the coupled nonlinear Schr¨odinger equations. It is found that under different initial conditions we can achieve all-optical switching functions. We also study the influence of different physical parameters of birefringent fibers on all-optical soliton switching. The relevant conclusions are conducive to achieving the all-optical switching function of optical solitons in birefringent fibers, providing useful guidance for widespread applications of optical soliton all-optical switches in birefringent fibers of communications.

Design and Numerical Analysis of Ultra-High Negative Dispersion, Highly Birefringent Nonlinear Single Mode Core-Tune Photonic Crystal Fiber (CT-PCF) over Communication Bands

This paper presents the development of a highly efficient CT-PCF (Core-Tune Photonic Crystal Fiber) with substantial birefringence, tailored for applications in high-bit-rate communication and sensing while minimizing signal loss. The design incorporates a modified broadband dispersion compensating structure, optimized for operation across the E, S, C, and L communication bands within a wavelength range spanning 1360 nm to 1625 nm. Notably, the CT-PCF demonstrates a remarkable birefringence of 2.372 × 10-2 at 1550 nm, surpassing traditional PCF structures. Single-mode performance is evaluated using the Higher Order Mode Extinction Ratio (HOMER) method, revealing a peak HOMER value of 104 at 1550 nm. Furthermore, at 1550 nm, the CT-PCF exhibits exceptional nonlinear characteristics, featuring a high nonlinearity of 50.74 W-1⋅Km-1 for y polarization. In comparison to existing designs, the proposed CT-PCF exhibits superior performance metrics and optical characteristics. Additionally, the y polarization dispersion coefficient of the CT-PCF at 1550 nm is measured at -3534 ps/(nm⋅km). Overall, the CT-PCF represents a significant advancement, outperforming established systems in terms of performance metrics and optical properties.

A Breather in Birefringent Fibers

The propagation properties of the breather in birefringent fibers are investigated. The breather can propagate stably in strongly birefringent fibers. The propagation law can be expected. However, random birefringence makes the propagation of the breather more complex. The breather will partly disappear and partly appear, even may split into two smaller breathers. In addition, the varying range of relative time displacement between two components of the breather becomes narrower with the effect of third-order dispersion. If third order dispersion is too strong, the breather behavior will disappear gradually during the transmission. The breather can exist in random birefringent fiber with dispersion management rather than in strongly birefringent fiber.

Design on a highly birefringent and nonlinear photonic crystal fiber in the C waveband

In this paper, a novel photonic crystal fiber （PCF） with high birefringence and nonlinearity is designed. The charac- teristics of birefringence, dispersion and nonlinearity are studied by using the full-vector finite element method （FVFEM）. The numerical results show that the phase birefringence and nonlinear coefficient of PCF can be up to 4.51× 10-3 and 32.8972 w-l.km-1 at 1.55 μm, respectively. The proposed PCF could be found to have important applications in the polarization-dependent nonlinear optics such as the pulse compress and reshaping in the C waveband.

Strigolactones modulate cotton fiber elongation and secondary cell wall thickening

Cotton is one of the most important economic crops in the world,and it is a major source of fiber in the textile industry.Strigolactones(SLs)are a class of carotenoid-derived plant hormones involved in many processes of plant growth and development,although the functions of SL in fiber development remain largely unknown.Here,we found that the endogenous SLs were significantly higher in fibers at 20 days post-anthesis(DPA).Exogenous SLs significantly increased fiber length and cell wall thickness.Furthermore,we cloned three key SL biosynthetic genes,namely GhD27,GhMAX3,and GhMAX4,which were highly expressed in fibers,and subcellular localization analyses revealed that GhD27,GhMAX3,and GhMAX4 were localized in the chloroplast.The exogenous expression of GhD27,GhMAX3,and GhMAX4 complemented the physiological phenotypes of d27,max3,and max4 mutations in Arabidopsis,respectively.Knockdown of GhD27,GhMAX3,and GhMAX4 in cotton resulted in increased numbers of axillary buds and leaves,reduced fiber length,and significantly reduced fiber thickness.These findings revealed that SLs participate in plant growth,fiber elongation,and secondary cell wall formation in cotton.These results provide new and effective genetic resources for improving cotton fiber yield and plant architecture.

Hyphae-mediated bioassembly of carbon fibers derivatives for advanced battery energy storage

Ingenious design and fabrication of advanced carbon-based sulfur cathodes are extremely important to the development of high-energy lithium-sulfur batteries,which hold promise as the next-generation power source.Herein,for the first time,we report a novel versatile hyphae-mediated biological assembly technology to achieve scale production of hyphae carbon fibers(HCFs)derivatives,in which different components including carbon,metal compounds,and semiconductors can be homogeneously assembled with HCFs to form composite networks.The mechanism of biological adsorption assembly is also proposed.As a representative,reduced graphene oxides(rGOs)decorated with hollow carbon spheres(HCSs)successfully co-assemble with HCFs to form HCSs@rGOs/HCFs hosts for sulfur cathodes.In this unique architecture,not only large accommodation space for sulfur but also restrained volume expansion and fast charge transport paths are realized.Meanwhile,multiscale physical barriers plus chemisorption sites are simultaneously established to anchor soluble lithium polysulfides.Accordingly,the designed HCSs@rGOs/HCFs-S cathodes deliver a high capacity(1189 mA h g^(-1)at 0.1 C)and good high-rate capability(686 mA h g^(-1)at 5 C).Our work provides a new approach for the preparation of high-performance carbon-based electrodes for energy storage devices.

Thermo-hydro-poro-mechanical responses of a reservoir-induced landslide tracked by high-resolution fiber optic sensing nerves

Thermo-poro-mechanical responses along sliding zone/surface have been extensively studied.However,it has not been recognized that the potential contribution of other crucial engineering geological interfaces beyond the slip surface to progressive failure.Here,we aim to investigate the subsurface multiphysics of reservoir landslides under two extreme hydrologic conditions(i.e.wet and dry),particularly within sliding masses.Based on ultra-weak fiber Bragg grating(UWFBG)technology,we employ specialpurpose fiber optic sensing cables that can be implanted into boreholes as“nerves of the Earth”to collect data on soil temperature,water content,pore water pressure,and strain.The Xinpu landslide in the middle reach of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area in China was selected as a case study to establish a paradigm for in situ thermo-hydro-poro-mechanical monitoring.These UWFBG-based sensing cables were vertically buried in a 31 m-deep borehole at the foot of the landslide,with a resolution of 1 m except for the pressure sensor.We reported field measurements covering the period 2021 and 2022 and produced the spatiotemporal profiles throughout the borehole.Results show that wet years are more likely to motivate landslide motions than dry years.The annual thermally active layer of the landslide has a critical depth of roughly 9 m and might move downward in warmer years.The dynamic groundwater table is located at depths of 9e15 m,where the peaked strain undergoes a periodical response of leap and withdrawal to annual hydrometeorological cycles.These interface behaviors may support the interpretation of the contribution of reservoir regulation to slope stability,allowing us to correlate them to local damage events and potential global destabilization.This paper also offers a natural framework for interpreting thermo-hydro-poro-mechanical signatures from creeping reservoir bank slopes,which may form the basis for a landslide monitoring and early warning system.

Genome-wide identification of the pectate lyase(PEL)gene family members in Malvaceae,and their contribution to cotton fiber quality

Pectin is a major constituent of the plant cell wall.Pectate lyase(PEL,EC 4.2.2.2)uses anti-β-elimination chemistry to cleave theα-1,4 glycosidic linkage in the homogalacturonan region of pectin.However,limited information is available on the comprehensive and evolutionary analysis of PELs in the Malvaceae.In this study,we identified 597PEL genes from 10 Malvaceae species.Phylogenetic and motif analyses revealed that these PELs are classified into six subfamilies:Clades I,II,III,IV,Va,and Vb.The two largest subfamilies,Clades I and II,contained 237 and222 PEL members,respectively.The members of Clades Va and Vb only contained four or five motifs,far fewer than the other subfamilies.Gene duplication analysis showed that segmental duplication played a crucial role in the expansion of the PEL gene family in Gossypium species.The PELs from Clades I,IV,Va,and Vb were expressed during the fiber elongation stage,but nearly all PEL genes from Clades II and III showed no expression in any of the investigated fiber developmental stages.We further performed single-gene haplotype association analysis in 2,001G.hirsutum accessions and 229 G.barbadense accessions.Interestingly,14 PELs were significantly associated with fiber length and strength traits in G.barbadense with superior fiber quality,while only eight GhPEL genes were found to be significantly associated with fiber quality traits in G.hirsutum.Our findings provide important information for further evolutionary and functional research on the PEL gene family members and their potential use for fiber quality improvement in cotton.

Coherent optical frequency transfer via 972-km fiber link

We demonstrate coherent optical frequency dissemination over a distance of 972 km by cascading two spans where the phase noise is passively compensated for.Instead of employing a phase discriminator and a phase locking loop in the conventional active phase control scheme,the passive phase noise cancellation is realized by feeding double-trip beat-note frequency to the driver of the acoustic optical modulator at the local site.This passive scheme exhibits fine robustness and reliability,making it suitable for long-distance and noisy fiber links.An optical regeneration station is used in the link for signal amplification and cascaded transmission.The phase noise cancellation and transfer instability of the 972-km link is investigated,and transfer instability of 1.1×10^(-19)at 10^(4)s is achieved.This work provides a promising method for realizing optical frequency distribution over thousands of kilometers by using fiber links.

Genetic dissection and origin of pleiotropic loci underlying multilevel fiber quality traits in upland cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Cotton fiber quality is a persistent concern that determines planting benefits and the quality of finished textile products.However,the limitations of measurement instruments have hindered the accurate evaluation of some important fiber characteristics such as fiber maturity,fineness,and neps,which in turn has impeded the genetic improvement and industrial utilization of cotton fiber.Here,12 single fiber quality traits were measured using Advanced Fiber Information System(AFIS)equipment among 383 accessions of upland cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.).In addition,eight conventional fiber quality traits were assessed by the High Volume Instrument(HVI)System.Genome-wide association study(GWAS),linkage disequilibrium(LD)block genotyping and functional identification were conducted sequentially to uncover the associated elite loci and candidate genes of fiber quality traits.As a result,the previously reported pleiotropic locus FL_D11 regulating fiber length-related traits was identified in this study.More importantly,three novel pleiotropic loci(FM_A03,FF_A05,and FN_A07)regulating fiber maturity,fineness and neps,respectively,were detected based on AFIS traits.Numerous highly promising candidate genes were screened out by integrating RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses,including the reported GhKRP6 for fiber length,the newly identified GhMAP8 for maturity and GhDFR for fineness.The origin and evolutionary analysis of pleiotropic loci indicated that the selection pressure on FL_D11,FM_A03 and FF_A05 increased as the breeding period approached the present and the origins of FM_A03 and FF_A05 were traced back to cotton landraces.These findings reveal the genetic basis underlying fiber quality and provide insight into the genetic improvement and textile utilization of fiber in G.hirsutum.

Analysis of piezoelectric semiconductor fibers under gradient temperature changes

Piezoelectric semiconductors(PSs)possess both semiconducting properties and piezoelectric coupling effects,making them optimal building blocks for semiconductor devices.PS fiber-like structures have wide applications in multi-functional semiconductor devices.In this paper,a one-dimensional(1D)theoretical model is established to describe the piezotronic responses of a PS fiber under gradient temperature changes.The theoretical model aims to explain the mechanism behind the resistance change caused by such gradient temperature changes.Numerical results demonstrate that a gradient temperature change significantly affects the physical fields within the PS fiber,and can induce changes in its surface resistance.It provides important theoretical guidance on the development of piezotronic devices that are sensitive to temperature effects.

Broadband tunable Raman soliton self-frequency shift to mid-infrared band in a highly birefringent microstructure fiber

Raman soliton self-frequency shifted to mid-infrared band（λ 〉 2 μm） has been achieved in an air-silica microstructure fiber（MF）. The MF used in our experiment has an elliptical core with diameters of 1.08 and 2.48 μm for fast and slow axis. Numerical simulation shows that each fundamental orthogonal polarization mode has two wide-spaced λZDW and theλZDW pairs located at 701/2110 nm and 755/2498 nm along the fast and slow axis, respectively. Using 810-nm Ti：sapphire femtosecond laser as pump, when the output power varies from 0.3 to 0.5 W, the furthest red-shift Raman solitons in both fast and slow axis shift from near-infrared band to mid-infrared band, reaching as far as 2030 and 2261 nm. Also, midinfrared Raman solitons can always be generated for pump wavelength longer than 790 nm if output pump power reaches0.5 W. Specifically, with pump power at 0.5 W, the mid-infrared soliton in slow axis shifts from 2001 to 2261 nm when the pump changes from 790 nm to 810 nm. This means only a 20 nm change of pump results in 260 nm tunability of a mid-infrared soliton.

Modulation instabilities in randomly birefringent two-mode optical fibers

Modulation instabilities in the randomly birefringent two-mode optical fibers （RB-TMFs） are analyzed in detail by accounting the effects of the differential mode group delay （DMGD） and group velocity dispersion （GVD） ratio between the two modes, both of which are absent in the randomly birefringent single-mode optical fibers （RB-SMFs）. New MI characteristics are found in both normal and anomalous dispersion regimes. For the normal dispersion, without DMGD, no MI exists. With DMGD, a completely new MI band is generated as long as the total power is smaller than a critical total power value, named by Per, which increases significantly with the increment of DMGD, and reduces dramatically as GVD ratio and power ratio between the two modes increases. For the anomalous dispersion, there is one MI band without DMGD. In the presence of DMGD, the MI gain is reduced generally. On the other hand, there also exists a critical total power （Per）, which increases （decreases） distinctly with the increment of DMGD （GVD ratio of the two modes） but varies complicatedly with the power ratio between the two modes. Two MI bands are present for total power smaller than Per, and the dominant band can be switched between the low and high frequency bands by adjusting the power ratio between the two modes. The M1 analysis in this paper is verified by numerical simulation.

Wavelength-interval switchable Brillouin–Raman random fiber laser through Brillouin pump manipulation

A wavelength-interval switchable Brillouin–Raman random fiber laser(BRRFL) based on Brillouin pump(BP) manipulation is proposed in this paper. The proposed wavelength-interval switchable BRRFL has a full-open cavity configuration, featuring multiwavelength output with wavelength interval of double Brillouin frequency shifts. Through simultaneously injecting the BP light and its first-order stimulated Brillouin-scattered light into the cavity, the laser output exhibits a wavelength interval of single Brillouin frequency shift. The wavelength-interval switching effect can be manipulated by controlling the power of the first-order stimulated Brillouin scattering light. The experimental results show the multiwavelength output can be switched between double Brillouin frequency shift multiwavelength emission with a broad bandwidth of approximately 60 nm and single Brillouin frequency shift multiwavelength emission of 44 nm. The flexible optically controlled random fiber laser with switchable wavelength interval makes it useful for a wide range of applications and holds significant potential in the field of wavelength-division multiplexing optical communication.

Effect of Third-order Dispersion of Birefringent Fiber on Pulse Transmission

The effect of third order dispersion on pulse transmission is discussed. The coupled nonlinear Schrdinger equations characterizing the birefringent single mode fibers is solved numerically with combined consideration on chromatic dispersion, including second and third order dispersions, polarization mode dispersion (PMD) and nonlinearity. Various simulation results are presented.

Real-Time 4-Mode MDM Transmission Using Commercial 400G OTN Transceivers and All-Fiber Mode Multiplexers

Weakly-coupled mode division multiplexing(MDM)technique is considered a promising candidate to enhance the capacity of an optical transmission system,in which mode multiplexers/demultiplexers(MMUX/MDEMUX)with low insertion loss and modal crosstalk are the key components.In this paper,a low-modal-crosstalk 4-mode MMUX/MDEMUX for the weakly-coupled triple-ring-core few-mode fiber(TRC-FMF)is designed and fabricated with side-polishing processing.The measurement results show that a pair of MMUX/MDEMUX and 25 km weakly-coupled TRC-FMF MDM link achieve low modal crosstalk of lower than−17.5 dB and insertion loss of lower than 11.56 dB for all the four modes.Based on the TRC-FMF and all-fiber MMUX/MDEMUX,an experiment for 25 km real-time 4-mode 3-λwavelength division multiplexing(WDM)-MDM transmission is conducted using commercial 400G optical transport network(OTN)transceivers.The experimental results prove weakly-coupled MDM techniques facilitate a smooth upgrade of the optical transmission system.

Controllable large-scale processing of temperature regulating sheath-core fibers with high-enthalpy for thermal management

Temperature regulating fibers(TRF_(s)) with high enthalpy and high form stability are the key factors for thermal management. However, the enthalpies of most TRFsare not high, and the preparation methods are still at the laboratory scale. It remains a great challenge to use industrial spinning equipment to achieve continuous processing of TRF_(s) with excellent thermal and mechanical properties. Here, polyamide 6(PA6) based TRF_(s) with a sheath-core structure were prepared by bicomponent melt-spinning. The sheath-core TRF(TRF_(sc)) are composed of PA6 as sheath and functional PA6 as core, which are filled with the shape stable phase change materials(ssPCM),dendritic silica@polyethylene glycol(SiO_(2)@PEG). With the aid of the sheath structure, the filling content of SiO_(2)@PEG can reach 30 %, so that the enthalpy of the TRF_(s) can be as high as 21.3 J/g. The ultra-high enthalpy guarantees the temperature regulation ability during the alternating process of cooling and heating. In hot environment, the temperature regulation time is 6.59 min, and the temperature difference is 12.93℃. In addition, the mechanical strength of the prepared TRF_(sc) reaches 2.26 cN/dtex, which can fully meet its application in the field of thermal management textiles and devices to manage the temperature regulation of the human body or precision equipment, etc.

Robust Transfer of Optical Frequency over 500km Fiber Link with Instability of 10^(−21)

Our primary objective is to mitigate the adverse effects of temperature fluctuations on the optical frequency transmission system by reducing the length of the interferometer.Following optimization,the phase-temperature coefficient of the optical system is reduced to approximately 1.35 fs/K.By applying a sophisticated temperature control to the remained“out-of-loop”optics fiber,the noise floor of the system has been effectively lowered to 10−21 level.Based on this performance-enhanced transfer system,we demonstrate coherent transmission of optical frequency through 500-km spooled fiber link.After being actively compensated,the transfer instability of 4.5×10^(−16) at the averaging time of 1 s and 5.6×10^(−21) at 10000 s is demonstrated.The frequency uncertainty of received light at remote site relative to that of the origin light at local site is achieved to be 1.15×10^(−19).This enhanced system configuration is particularly well suited for future long-distance frequency transmission and comparison of the most advanced optical clock signals.

Seeing at a distance with multicore fibers

Images and videos provide a wealth of information for people in production and life.Although most digital information is transmitted via optical fiber,the image acquisition and transmission processes still rely heavily on electronic circuits.The development of all-optical transmission networks and optical computing frameworks has pointed to the direction for the next generation of data transmission and information processing.Here,we propose a high-speed,low-cost,multiplexed parallel and one-piece all-fiber architecture for image acquisition,encoding,and transmission,called the Multicore Fiber Acquisition and Transmission Image System(MFAT).Based on different spatial and modal channels of the multicore fiber,fiber-coupled self-encoding,and digital aperture decoding technology,scenes can be observed directly from up to 1 km away.The expansion of capacity provides the possibility of parallel coded transmission of multimodal high-quality data.MFAT requires no additional signal transmitting and receiving equipment.The all-fiber processing saves the time traditionally spent on signal conversion and image pre-processing(compression,encoding,and modulation).Additionally,it provides an effective solution for 2D information acquisition and transmission tasks in extreme environments such as high temperatures and electromagnetic interference.

High-Power Raman Soliton Generation at 1.7 μm in All-Fiber Polarization-Maintaining Erbium-Doped Amplifier

An all-fiber polarization maintaining high-power laser system operating at 1.7 μm based on the Ramaninduced soliton self-frequency shifting effect is demonstrated. The entirely fiberized system is built by erbiumdoped oscillator and two-stage amplifiers with polarization maintaining commercial silica fibers and devices, which can provide robust and stable soliton generation. High-power soliton laser with the average power of 0.28 W,the repetition rate of 42.7 MHz, and pulse duration of 515 fs is generated directly from the main amplifier.Our experiment provides a feasible method for high-power all-fiber polarization maintaining femtosecond laser generation working at 1.7 μm.