Nonlinear manipulation of optical coupling in synthetic temporal waveguides
Phys. Rev. Applied 24, 014040 – Published 22 July, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/vnff-cy63
Abstract
Here we experimentally create a temporal waveguide doublet by introducing truncation boundaries in a synthetic temporal lattice, which is constructed using two fiber loops connected by a variable optical coupler. The optical pulses are confined to evolve and couple between the temporal lattice sites, akin to a directional waveguide coupler operating in the time dimension. Total energy transfer between the temporal waveguides is achieved only when the coupling ratio takes specific values. Nonlinearity is introduced into the temporal waveguides by incorporating an optoelectric conversion circuit into one of the fiber loops. We demonstrate a nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometer, where the output site of the optical pulse can be adjusted by varying the incident pulse intensity. The system has the potential to serve as a temporal switch and could find applications in optical pulse control and signal processing.
