Raman-effect induced noise limits on χ(3) parametric amplifiers and wavelength converters

The non-zero response time of the Kerr (χ(3)) nonlinearity determines the quantum-limited noise figure of χ(3) parametric amplifiers and wavelength converters. This non-zero response time of the nonlinearity requires coupling of the parametric amplification process to a molecular-vibration phonon bath, causing the addition of excess noise through Raman gain or loss. The effect of this excess noise on the noise figure of the amplifier can be significant. We derive analytical expressions for this quantum-limited noise figure in the case of non-degenerate phase-insensitive operation of a χ(3) parametric amplifier and show excellent agreement with experiment without any fitting parameter. We also derive analytical expressions for the quantum limited noise figure for χ(3)-based wavelength converters.

[1]  P. V. Mamyshev,et al.  Mutual influence of the parametric effects and stimulated Raman scattering in optical fibers , 1990 .

[2]  H. Haus,et al.  Measurement of the Raman gain spectrum of optical fibers. , 1995, Optics letters.

[3]  J H Shapiro,et al.  Raman-noise limit on squeezing in continuous-wave four-wave mixing. , 1995, Optics letters.

[4]  Paul L Voss,et al.  Measurement of the photon statistics and the noise figure of a fiber-optic parametric amplifier. , 2003, Optics letters.

[5]  Hermann A. Haus,et al.  Raman response function of silica-core fibers , 1989, Annual Meeting Optical Society of America.

[6]  Peter A. Andrekson,et al.  Fiber-based optical parametric amplifiers and their applications , 2002 .

[7]  Govind P. Agrawal,et al.  Nonlinear Fiber Optics , 1989 .

[8]  J R Taylor,et al.  Direct continuous-wave measurement of n(2) in various types of telecommunication fiber at 1.55 microm. , 1996, Optics letters.

[10]  Yikai Su,et al.  Wavelength-tunable all-optical clock recovery using a fiber-optic parametric oscillator , 2000 .

[11]  J. Lasri,et al.  Microstructure-fibre-based optical parametric amplifier with gain slope of ∼200 dB/W/km in the telecom range , 2003 .

[12]  H. Haus.  Electromagnetic Noise and Quantum Optical Measurements , 2000 .

[13]  S. Radic,et al.  Record performance of parametric amplifier constructed with highly nonlinear fibre , 2003 .

[14]  H. Haus,et al.  Raman noise and soliton squeezing , 1994 .

[15]  N R Newbury.  Raman gain: pump-wavelength dependence in single-mode fiber. , 2002, Optics letters.

[16]  H A Haus,et al.  Analytical solution to the quantum field theory of self-phase modulation with a finite response time. , 1994, Physical review letters.

[17]  Reid,et al.  Squeezing of quantum solitons. , 1987, Physical review letters.

[18]  J. Blows,et al.  Low-noise-figure optical parametric amplifier with a continuous-wave frequency-modulated pump. , 2002, Optics letters.

[19]  Katsuhiro Shimizu,et al.  Continuous-wave fiber optical parametric wavelength converter with +40-dB conversion efficiency and a 3.8-dB noise figure. , 2003, Optics letters.

[20]  J. Shapiro,et al.  Quantum propagation in a Kerr medium: lossless, dispersionless fiber , 1993 .

[21]  S. V. Chernikov,et al.  Broadband Raman gain characterisation in various optical fibres , 2001 .

[22]  Lai,et al.  Quantum theory of solitons in optical fibers. II. Exact solution. , 1989, Physical review. A, General physics.

[23]  S. V. Chernikov,et al.  Direct continuous-wave measurement of n2 in various types of telecommunication fiber at 1.55 μm , 1996 .

[24]  Yikai Su,et al.  An all-optical picosecond-pulse packet buffer based on four-wave mixing loading and intracavity soliton control , 2000, Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO 2000). Technical Digest. Postconference Edition. TOPS Vol.39 (IEEE Cat. No.00CH37088).

[25]  H. Haus,et al.  QUANTUM NOISE IN LINEAR AMPLIFIERS , 1962 .

[26]  Lai,et al.  Quantum theory of solitons in optical fibers. I. Time-dependent Hartree approximation. , 1989, Physical review. A, General physics.

[27]  Paul L Voss,et al.  Raman-noise-induced noise-figure limit for chi(3) parametric amplifiers. , 2004, Optics letters.