Measurements of the Nonlinear Refractive Index of an Er3+-Doped Bi2O3-Based Glass Fiber

Abstract
A nonlinear refractive index n 2 determines the spectral broadening of optical pulses due to self-phase modulation. We report on the generation of kilowatt peak power optical pulses by an Er3+-doped Bi2O3-based glass fiber amplifier. We estimate n 2 of a Bi2O3-based glass fiber by measuring the spectral broadening of output pulses from the fiber amplifier. The obtained value of n 2 is (4.9±0.6)×10-19 m2/W at 1.55 µm wavelength. To our knowledge, this represents the first evaluation of n 2 in an Er3+-doped Bi2O3-based glass fiber.