Shaping, propagation and characterization of ultrafast pulses in optical fibers

The characterization of medium- to low-energy shaped pulses at 1.55 mu m th rough frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) is illustrated. This capabil ity enables the study of ultrafast pulse propagation through optical fibers . The phase dynamics detected furnishes insight on pulse evolution, specifi cally on soliton formation - a subject of great importance for telecommunic ation applications. The combination of shaping and propagation of ultrafast pulses in fibers is examined theoretically using an adaptive pulse-shaping model, based on genetic algorithms, that furnishes optimized pulse shapes for fiber propagation.