Noise in phase-(in)sensitive dual-core fiber parametric amplification.

Vítor Ribeiro,Abel Lorences-Riesgo,Peter Andrekson,Magnus Karlsson

doi:10.1364/oe.26.004050

Abstract

Flat and wide-bandwidth gain spectrum, along with phase-sensitive gain with no need to generate amplifier input idlers, can be achieved with a coupled dual-core fiber optical parametric amplifier. In this paper, we analyze the noise properties of such an amplifier. We achieve a 3 dB noise figure in the phase-insensitive case and a minimum of -6 dB noise figure in the phase-sensitive configuration. An alternative phase-sensitive configuration is also studied, that avoids the use of idlers at the input of the amplifier, leading to a 3 dB flat spectrum combined noise figure for the output signals. Pump transfer noise in phase-insensitive and phase-sensitive configurations is also studied along with the noise figure variation against the length of the amplifier.

Highlights

Amplification in optical fiber communications has currently a bottleneck with nowadays commercial erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFA) amplifiers achieving no more than 40 nm gain spectrum [1]
The research community has been focusing on spatial division multiplexing to follow the constant demand for more bandwidth, a recent review by Richardson appointed broadband amplifiers with up to 10-fold increase in amplification bandwidth, relative to the standard EDFA, as the first option to be considered in order to increase transmission capacity [4]
This technology faces several challenges, i.e., it is intrinsically polarization dependent, despite possible undesirable use of polarization diversity and difficulties arise when using this technology in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems, due to the generated higher order four-wave mixing (FWM) terms, which increase nonlinear crosstalk

Summary

Introduction

Amplification in optical fiber communications has currently a bottleneck with nowadays commercial EDFA amplifiers achieving no more than 40 nm gain spectrum [1] They are not suitable to work at wavelengths outside the C+L bands, limiting applications such as optical wireless communications (OWC), which work in a much broader spectrum (10nm to millimeter band). It has been demonstrated that fiber based OPA can offer over 360 nm gain bandwidth [5] which is 9 times more than the current commercially available technologies It can offer low noise figure (NF) amplifiers [6] which at the present state are important for ultra-long haul optical fiber communications.

Theorectical background

Results and discussion

Conclusions