All-optical pulse rate multiplication using fractional Talbot effect and field-to- intensity conversion with cross-gain modulation

The authors show a passive all-optical method for pulse-rate multiplication. It is based on the fractional temporal Talbot effect along with nonlinear field-to-intensity conversion, using cross gain modulation in a semiconductor optical amplifier. In the experimental demonstration, the pulse rate was doubled and quadrupled to provide /spl sim/20-40-GHz pulses, but much higher rates can be obtained with this method.