Abstract
When an optical pulse propagates along an optical fibre, different wavelengths travel at different group velocities. As a result, wavelength information is converted into arrival-time information, a process known as wavelength-to-time mapping. This phenomenon is most cleanly observed using a single-mode fibre transmission line, where spatial mode dispersion is not present, but the use of such fibres restricts possible applications. Here we demonstrate that photonic lanterns based on tapered single-mode multicore fibres provide an efficient way to couple multimode light to an array of single-photon avalanche detectors, each of which has its own time-to-digital converter for time-correlated single-photon counting. Exploiting this capability, we demonstrate the multiplexed single-mode wavelength-to-time mapping of multimode light using a multicore fibre photonic lantern with 121 single-mode cores, coupled to 121 detectors on a 32 × 32 detector array. This work paves the way to efficient multimode wavelength-to-time mapping systems with the spectral performance of single-mode systems.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 14080 |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 8 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 25 Jan 2017 |
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Dive into the research topics of 'Multiplexed Single-Mode Wavelength-to-Time Mapping of Multimode Light'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Datasets
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Raw data obtained to evaluate the effect of injection numerical aperture on the photonic lantern throughput
Thomson, R. R. (Creator), Heriot-Watt University, 2016
DOI: 10.17861/53bdb56c-9045-4ef3-ad4c-c26b01fbda17
Dataset
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Raw data used to evaluate the fill-factor enhancement (Methods)
Thomson, R. R. (Creator), Heriot-Watt University, 2016
DOI: 10.17861/5e68f0b7-abf0-470c-a784-b7f42cb7dd34
Dataset
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Raw data for broadband wavelength-to-time mapping (Fig. 4)
Thomson, R. R. (Creator), Heriot-Watt University, 2016
DOI: 10.17861/9f56de62-81b8-48c1-b373-180f9ba0b52c
Dataset
Profiles
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Bill MacPherson
- School of Engineering & Physical Sciences - Associate Professor
- School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences - Associate Professor
Person: Academic (Research & Teaching)
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Robert R. Thomson
- School of Engineering & Physical Sciences - Professor
- School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences - Professor
Person: Academic (Research & Teaching)