In this paper, 10 Gb/s free space optical (FSO) wiretap channel using optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) time-diversity reception is designed and demonstrated for the first time. Reliability and security are investigated under weak and strong turbulence conditions. Two-dimensional optical encoder and decoder are constructed by wavelength selective switches and optical delay lines, and one-dimensional optical encoder and decoder are constructed by couplers and tunable optical delay lines. Experimental results show that reliability and security can be enhanced simultaneously using OCDMA time-diversity reception. At the received power of 2.58dBm in strong turbulence, compared to non-diversity system, bit error rate (BER) of legitimate user in OCDMA time-diversity system is reduced from $3.9\times 10^{-7} to $6.73 \times 10^{-8}$ . Furthermore, the reliability improvement is more obvious when the correlation between the two signals of OCDMA time-diversity is smaller. The secrecy capacity can be increased from 0.546 bit/symbol to 0.665 bit/symbol in strong turbulence when received power is 2.28dBm. On the other hand, the secrecy capacity of strong turbulence is about 15% higher than that of weak turbulence.

In the context of current communication systems, there is an urgent demand for more efficient and higher-speed optical signal processing technologies. Researchers are actively exploring new materials and devices to harness nonlinear optical phenomena, seeking advancements in this field. Nonlinear carbon materials, especially promising 2D materials, have garnered attention for their potential interaction with light and have become integral to the development of all-optical signal processing devices. This study focuses on utilizing a photonic device based on a nonlinear Au/CB composite material for optical Kerr switching. The application of Au/CB as a nonlinear material in the Kerr switch represents a noteworthy advancement, demonstrating its capability to modulate optical signals. By appropriately applying a pump light, the study achieves optical Kerr switching with an extinction ratio of approximately 15 dB in the fully off state of the signal light carrying a 10 GHz analog signal, marking a pioneering achievement in the field to the best of our knowledge. The experimental results, encompassing extinction ratios, signal control, and stability, not only validate the feasibility of this technology but also underscore its potential applicability within optical communication systems. The successful modulation and control of a 10 GHz analog signal showcase the practicality and effectiveness of the Au/CB-based optical Kerr switch. This progress contributes to the continuous evolution of optical Kerr switching, a crucial component in modern optical communication systems. Therefore, we believe that the Au/CB-based optical Kerr switch is an exceptionally promising and stable all-optical signal processing device. As the contemporary communication landscape evolves, the integration of this technology holds the potential to enhance the efficiency and speed of optical signal processing.

As a novel nanomaterial, the TiN/Ti₃C₂ heterojunction has been demonstrated to possess exceptional optoelectronic properties, offering significant potential for applications in fields such as communication, optical sensors, and image processing. The rapid evolution of the internet demands higher communication capacity and information processing speed. In this context, all-optical wavelength conversion, a pivotal technique in all-optical signal processing, holds paramount importance in overcoming electronic bottlenecks, enhancing wavelength utilization, resolving wavelength competition, and mitigating network congestion. Utilizing the idle light generated through the four-wave mixing (FWM) process accurately mimics the bit patterns of signal channels. This process is inherently rapid and theoretically capable of surpassing electronic bottlenecks with ease. By placing an optical filter at the fiber output end to allow idle light passage while blocking pump and signal light, the output becomes a wavelength-converted replica of the original bitstream. It has been verified that TiN/Ti₃C₂ heterojunction-coated microfiber (THM) exhibits outstanding third-order nonlinear coefficients. Building upon this, we achieved a THM-enhanced FWM all-optical wavelength converter, resulting in a ~4.48 dB improvement in conversion efficiency. Compared to conventional high-nonlinear fibers, this compact device significantly reduces fiber length and can be easily integrated into current high-speed optical communication networks. It demonstrates broad prospects in the realms of all-optical signal processing, robotic applications, ultra-high-speed communication, and beyond.

Secrecy capacity is usually employed as the performance metric of the physical layer security in fiber-optic wiretap channels. However, secrecy capacity can only qualitatively evaluate the physical layer security, and it cannot quantitatively evaluate the physical layer security of an imperfect security system. Furthermore, secrecy capacity cannot quantitatively evaluate the amount of information leakage to the eavesdropper. Based on the channel model of an optical CDMA network using wiretap code, the information leakage rate is analyzed to evaluate the physical layer security. The numerical results show that the information leakage rate can quantitatively evaluate the physical layer security of an optical CDMA wiretap channel, and it is related to transmission distance, eavesdropping position, confidential information rate and optical code.

The scheme of combining relay and optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) is one of the effective methods to improve the reliability and security of free space optical (FSO) communication system. We experimentally investigate a 10 Gb/s decode-and-forward (DF) relaying FSO-CDMA system and a relaying amplify-and-forward (AF) FSO-CDMA system, respectively. Bit error rates (BERs) of DF and AF relaying FSO-CDMA are measured and compared under different turbulence conditions. The experimental results show that the BER of DF relaying FSO-CDMA is one to two orders of magnitude lower than that of AF relaying FSO-CDMA when the receiving power is −5.6 dBm. However, the performance gap is decreasing with the increase of receiving power, especially when there is an interfering user. At the receiving power −2.8 dBm, two-user AF and DF relaying FSO-CDMA systems have almost the same BER. Under both weak and moderate turbulence conditions, at the receiving power −2.8 dBm, the measured BER of the eavesdropper exceeds 0.1, which is larger than the BER threshold of soft-decision forward error correction code. Hence, physical layer security of FSO relaying system can be achieved by optical coding.

In this study, we have investigated the evolution process and dynamic characteristics of a multi-pulse regime in an erbium-doped fiber ring laser based on a single-mode fiber–graded-index multimode fiber–single-mode fiber (SMF-GIMF-SMF) structure as an optical modulator. By utilizing the excellent nonlinear optical absorption of the SMF-GIMF-SMF (SMS) device with a modulation depth of ~8.68%, stable single-pulse mode locking at the frequency of 9.84 MHz can be readily observed at low pump power. In addition, the single-pulse operation can evolve into a multiple-pulse regime on account of the peak-power-clamping effect via suitably raising the pump power and carefully regulating the polarization state. Further, the single-shot temporal evolution of multiple pulses is monitored, indicating that this state shows unique and interesting temporal characteristics with variable pulse separations and inconsistent pulse intensities, which, as far as we know, is the first such observation in ultrafast fiber lasers. Additionally, this study, based on the time-stretch dispersive Fourier transformation method, suggests that these multiple pulses consist of chaotic wave envelopes with erratic intensities and changeable pulse energy. We believe that these findings have profound implications for revealing fascinating nonlinear pulse dynamics in ultrafast fiber optics.