Optical pulse compression schemes that use nonlinear Bragg gratings

Nonlinear optical pulse compression of picosecond pulses typically requires long lengths of optical fiber and multiple components. Periodic structures , such as fiber Bragg gratings, are highly dispersive at wavelengths outsid e of the photonic bandgap. This implies that such grating can be used as ve ry short all-fiber compressors. In this paper a number of such compression schemes are reviewed involving uniform and nonuniform fiber Bragg gratings, relying on both soliton and nonsoliton compression principles. Experimenta l results supporting the corresponding underlying theory are also presented . Finally, an extension of one of the compression schemes is shown, which a llows the generation of adjustable high-repetition rate soliton trains.