We describe a methodology to maximize slow-light pulse delay subject to a constraint on the allowable pulse distortion. We show that optimizing over a larger number of physical variables can increase the distortion-constrained delay. We demonstrate these concepts by comparing the optimum slow-light pulse delay achievable using a single Lorentzian gain line with that achievable using a pair of closely-spaced gain lines. We predict that distortion management using a gain doublet can provide approximately a factor of 2 increase in slow-light pulse delay as compared with the optimum single-line delay. Experimental results employing Bril-louin gain in optical fiber confirm our theoretical predictions.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

1. R. W. Boyd and D. J. Gauthier, "'Slow' and 'Fast' Light," in Progress in Optics, Vol. 43, E. Wolf, ed. (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2002), pp. 497-530. [CrossRef]
2. Y. A. Vlasov, S. Petit, G. Klein, B. Hönerlage, and C. Hirlimann, "Femtosecond measurements of the time of flight of photons in a three-dimensional photonic crystal," Phys. Rev. E 60, 1030-1035 (1999). [CrossRef]
3. J. E. Heebner, R. W. Boyd, and Q. Park, "Slow light, induced dispersion, enhanced nonlinearity, and optical solitons in a resonator-array waveguide," Phys. Rev. E 65, 036619 (2002). [CrossRef]
4. Y. Xu, R. K. Lee, and A. Yariv, "Scattering theory analysis of waveguide-resonator coupling," Phys. Rev. E 62, 7389-7404 (2000). [CrossRef]
5. A. Yariv, Y. Xu, R. K. Lee, and A. Scherer, "Coupled resonator optical waveguide: a proposal and analysis," Opt. Lett. 24, 711-713 (1999). [CrossRef]
6. R. W. Boyd, D. J. Gauthier, A. L. Gaeta, and A. E. Willner, "Maximum time delay achievable on propagation through a slow-light medium," Phys. Rev. A 71, 023801 (2005). [CrossRef]
7. H. Cao, A. Dogariu, and L. J. Wang, "Negative group delay and pulse compression in superluminal pulse propagation," IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 9, 52-58 (2003). [CrossRef]
8. B. Macke and B. Ségard, "Propagation of light-pulses at a negative group-velocity," European Phys. J. D 23, 125-141 (2003). [CrossRef]
9. M. Bashkansky, G. Beadie, Z. Dutton, F. K. Fatemi, J. Reintjes, and M. Steiner, "Slow-light dynamics of largebandwidth pulses in warm rubidium vapor," Phys. Rev. A 72, 033819 (2005). [CrossRef]
10. Y. Okawachi, M. S. Bigelow, J. E. Sharping, Z. M. Zhu, A. Schweinsberg, D. J. Gauthier, R. W. Boyd, and A. L. Gaeta, "Tunable all-optical delays via Brillouin slow light in an optical fiber," Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 153902 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. K. Y. Song, M. G. Herráez, and L. Thévenaz, "Observation of pulse delaying and advancement in optical fibers using stimulated Brillouin scattering," Opt. Express 13, 82-88 (2005) <a href="http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-1-82">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-1-82</a> [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. K. Y. Song, M. G. Herráez, and L. Thévenaz, "Long optically controlled delays in optical fibers," Opt. Lett. 30, 1782-1784 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. Z. Zhu, D.J. Gauthier, Y. Okawachi, J.E. Sharping, A.L. Gaeta, R.W. Boyd, and A.E.Willner, "Numerical study of all-optical slow-light delays via stimulated Brillouin scattering in an optical fiber," to appear in J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 22 (2005).
14. A. V. Oppenheim and A. S. Willsky, Signals and Systems, 2nd Ed. (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, 1997).
15. Y. Chen, G. Pasrija, B. Farhang-Boroujeny, and S. Blair, "Engineering the nonlinear phase shift," Opt. Lett. 28 1945-1947 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. G. Lenz, B. J. Eggleton, C. K. Madsen, and R. E. Slusher, "Optical delay lines based on optical filters," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 37 525-532 (2001). [CrossRef]
17. J. E. Heebner, P. Chak, S. Pereira, J. E. Sipe, R. W. Boyd, "Distributed and localized feedback in microresonator sequences for linear and nonlinear optics," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 21 1818-1832 (2004). [CrossRef]
18. M. Nikles, L. Thévenaz, and P. A. Robert, "Brillouin gain spectrum characterization in single-mode optical fibers," J. Lightwave Technol. 15, 1842-1851 (1997). [CrossRef]
19. Z. Dutton, M. Bashkansky, M. Steiner, and J. Reintjes, "Channelization architecture for wide-band slow light in atomic vapors," SPIE 5735, 115-129 (2005). [CrossRef]
20. Q. Sun, Y. V. Rostovtsev, J. P. Dowling, M. O. Scully, and M. S. Zhubairy, "Optically controlled delays for broadband pulses," Phys. Rev. A 72 031802(R) (2005). [CrossRef]

European Phys. J. D

• B. Macke and B. Ségard, "Propagation of light-pulses at a negative group-velocity," European Phys. J. D 23, 125-141 (2003). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

• G. Lenz, B. J. Eggleton, C. K. Madsen, and R. E. Slusher, "Optical delay lines based on optical filters," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 37 525-532 (2001). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.

• H. Cao, A. Dogariu, and L. J. Wang, "Negative group delay and pulse compression in superluminal pulse propagation," IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 9, 52-58 (2003). [CrossRef]

J. Lightwave Technol.

• M. Nikles, L. Thévenaz, and P. A. Robert, "Brillouin gain spectrum characterization in single-mode optical fibers," J. Lightwave Technol. 15, 1842-1851 (1997). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• J. E. Heebner, P. Chak, S. Pereira, J. E. Sipe, R. W. Boyd, "Distributed and localized feedback in microresonator sequences for linear and nonlinear optics," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 21 1818-1832 (2004). [CrossRef]
• Z. Zhu, D.J. Gauthier, Y. Okawachi, J.E. Sharping, A.L. Gaeta, R.W. Boyd, and A.E.Willner, "Numerical study of all-optical slow-light delays via stimulated Brillouin scattering in an optical fiber," to appear in J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 22 (2005).

Opt. Express

• K. Y. Song, M. G. Herráez, and L. Thévenaz, "Observation of pulse delaying and advancement in optical fibers using stimulated Brillouin scattering," Opt. Express 13, 82-88 (2005) <a href="http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-1-82">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-1-82</a> [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• K. Y. Song, M. G. Herráez, and L. Thévenaz, "Long optically controlled delays in optical fibers," Opt. Lett. 30, 1782-1784 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Yariv, Y. Xu, R. K. Lee, and A. Scherer, "Coupled resonator optical waveguide: a proposal and analysis," Opt. Lett. 24, 711-713 (1999). [CrossRef]
• Y. Chen, G. Pasrija, B. Farhang-Boroujeny, and S. Blair, "Engineering the nonlinear phase shift," Opt. Lett. 28 1945-1947 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. A

• Q. Sun, Y. V. Rostovtsev, J. P. Dowling, M. O. Scully, and M. S. Zhubairy, "Optically controlled delays for broadband pulses," Phys. Rev. A 72 031802(R) (2005). [CrossRef]
• R. W. Boyd, D. J. Gauthier, A. L. Gaeta, and A. E. Willner, "Maximum time delay achievable on propagation through a slow-light medium," Phys. Rev. A 71, 023801 (2005). [CrossRef]
• M. Bashkansky, G. Beadie, Z. Dutton, F. K. Fatemi, J. Reintjes, and M. Steiner, "Slow-light dynamics of largebandwidth pulses in warm rubidium vapor," Phys. Rev. A 72, 033819 (2005). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. E

• Y. A. Vlasov, S. Petit, G. Klein, B. Hönerlage, and C. Hirlimann, "Femtosecond measurements of the time of flight of photons in a three-dimensional photonic crystal," Phys. Rev. E 60, 1030-1035 (1999). [CrossRef]
• J. E. Heebner, R. W. Boyd, and Q. Park, "Slow light, induced dispersion, enhanced nonlinearity, and optical solitons in a resonator-array waveguide," Phys. Rev. E 65, 036619 (2002). [CrossRef]
• Y. Xu, R. K. Lee, and A. Yariv, "Scattering theory analysis of waveguide-resonator coupling," Phys. Rev. E 62, 7389-7404 (2000). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• Y. Okawachi, M. S. Bigelow, J. E. Sharping, Z. M. Zhu, A. Schweinsberg, D. J. Gauthier, R. W. Boyd, and A. L. Gaeta, "Tunable all-optical delays via Brillouin slow light in an optical fiber," Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 153902 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Progress in Optics

• R. W. Boyd and D. J. Gauthier, "'Slow' and 'Fast' Light," in Progress in Optics, Vol. 43, E. Wolf, ed. (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2002), pp. 497-530. [CrossRef]

SPIE

• Z. Dutton, M. Bashkansky, M. Steiner, and J. Reintjes, "Channelization architecture for wide-band slow light in atomic vapors," SPIE 5735, 115-129 (2005). [CrossRef]

Other

• A. V. Oppenheim and A. S. Willsky, Signals and Systems, 2nd Ed. (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, 1997).

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