Spectral correlations in a fiber-optical parametric oscillator

Abstract

Tailoring wavelength correlations in fiber-optical sources through nonlinear phenomena could drive many quantum optics applications. However, to date, such correlations have not been explored within fiber-optical parametric oscillators (FOPO), which are now widespread wavelength-agile sources. We experimentally investigate the real-time dynamics of a synchronously pumped picosecond FOPO with a combination of statistical tools using time-stretch spectroscopy. The study of wavelength correlations allows us to unveil particular spectrotemporal dynamics and correlation patterns. Specifically, we demonstrate that combining mutual information (MI) analysis and least-squares regression with large ensembles of shot-to-shot spectra allows to efficiently track energy transfers from pump to parametric waves. In addition, we show that tuning the FOPO parameters enables the shaping of spectral correlations to a certain extent.