110 nm versatile fiber optical parametric amplifier at 1.0 μm.

Abstract

The fiber optical parametric amplifier (FOPA) has been well investigated and widely adopted at the telecommunication window, and outstanding progress has been achieved in areas such as high gain, wide bandwidths, and even flexible gain-spectrum shape. In contrast, a FOPA at the bio-favorable window, 1.0 μm, has been largely underexploited, especially for its relatively limited bandwidth. Here, we demonstrate an all-fiber single-pump FOPA at 1.0 μm with versatile performances, including ultrahigh gain (∼52 dB), wide bandwidth (∼110 nm), and good gain-spectrum flatness (∼3 dB). To showcase the practical applications, the FOPA is utilized to amplify the broadband optical image signal from a spectrally encoded microscopy, yielding a sensitivity enhancement of 47 dB. Thus, it is promising that this all-fiber versatile FOPA works well as an add-on module in boosting sensitivity for existing optical systems at a 1.0 μm window.