Single Optical Parametric Amplifier Research Articles

Analysis of squeezed light source in band of alkali atom transitions based on cascaded optical parametric amplifiers

The squeezed light field in the band of alkali metal atomic transitions is an important quantum resource in the field of quantum information and precision measurement. The wavelengths of atomic transition lines (760–860 nm) are relatively short. Limited by the gray-tracking effect of nonlinear crystals, the squeezing degree of the squeezed light in this band generated by the optical parametric amplifiers is low. Now, the squeezing is about 3–5 dB. Considering the problems in the experimental generation of the squeezed light at the wavelengths of atomic transitions, the variation law of quantum noise of the light field output from the single optical parametric amplifier with its physical parameters is studied theoretically, and the optimal physical parameters are obtained. To further improve the squeezing in the band of alkali metal atomic transitions, the cascaded optical parametric amplifiers are considered. Based on the basic theory of the optical parametric amplifiers, the theoretical model of the cascaded optical parametric amplifiers is constructed, in which the optical loss and phase noise of the cascaded optical loops are considered. Based on this, the quantum noise characteristics of the light field output from the cascaded system versus the optical loss and phase noise are analyzed at the frequencies of 2 MHz and 100 kHz, respectively. It is found that for the squeezing at 2 MHz, cascading 2 to 3 optical parametric amplifiers can significantly improve the squeezing under the premise of the low optical path loss and phase noise; for the squeezing in the low-frequency band, the enhancement of the squeezing for the cascaded system is quite weak. Under the current experimental parameters, the squeezing at 2 MHz of the squeezed light on rubidium resonance can be improved from –5 dB to –7 dB by cascading another DOPA. For the squeezing at low frequency band, the cascaded system proves to be useless, and the efforts should be made to reduce the technique noise in the low frequency band. Furthermore, the quantum limit and spectral characteristics of the squeezed light field output from the cascaded system are further explored. This study can provide reference and guidance for the improvement in the squeezing degree of the band of atomic transitions.

Efficient, sub-4-cycle, 1-µm-pumped optical parametric amplifier at 10 µm based on BaGa4S7.

We report on a microjoule-scale mid-infrared optical parametric amplifier (OPA) based on the recently developed wide-bandgap orthorhombic crystal, BaGa4S7 (BGS) and directly compare its performance to that of LiGaS2 (LGS) in the same OPA setup. The source is based on a single OPA stage amplifying supercontinuum seed pulses with a quantum efficiency of 29% at an idler wavelength of 10 µm, featuring nominally carrier-envelope phase-stable pulses. As a result of pumping the OPA directly at 1 µm, the overall conversion efficiency far exceeds that of traditional schemes based on OPAs followed by difference frequency generation. Chirp compensation using bulk germanium resulted in 126 fs pulses covering the 7.6-11.5 µm spectral range. BGS holds great promise for power scaling due to its availability in larger single-crystal sizes than LGS.

Alignment-free difference frequency light source tunable from 5 to 20 µm by mixing two independently tunable OPOs.

Tunable mid-infrared ultrashort lasers have become an essential tool in vibrational spectroscopy in recent years. They enabled and pushed a variety of spectroscopic applications due to their high brilliance, beam quality, low noise, and accessible wavelength range up to 20 µm. Many state-of-the-art devices apply difference frequency generation (DFG) to reach the mid-infrared spectral region. Here, birefringent phase-matching is typically employed, resulting in a significant crystal rotation during wavelength tuning. This causes a beam offset, which needs to be compensated to maintain stable beam pointing. This is crucial for any application. In this work, we present a DFG concept, which avoids crystal rotation and eliminates beam pointing variations over a broad wavelength range. It is based on two independently tunable input beams, provided by synchronously pumped parametric seeding units. We compare our concept to the more common DFG approach of mixing the signal and idler beams from a single optical parametric amplifier (OPA) or oscillator (OPO). In comparison, our concept enhances the photon efficiency of wavelengths exceeding 11 µm more than a factor of 10 and we still achieve milliwatts of output power up to 20 µm. This concept enhances DFG setups for beam-pointing-sensitive spectroscopic applications and can enable research at the border between the mid- and far-IR range due to its highly efficient performance.

Generation of a continuous-variable quadripartite cluster state multiplexed in the spatial domain

As a highly entangled quantum network, the cluster state has the potential for greater information capacity and use in measurement-based quantum computation. Here, we report generating a continuous-variable quadripartite “square” cluster state of multiplexing orthogonal spatial modes in a single optical parametric amplifier (OPA), and further improve the quality of entanglement by optimizing the pump profile. We produce multimode entanglement of two first-order Hermite–Gauss modes within one beam in a single multimode OPA and transform it into a cluster state by phase correction. Furthermore, the pump-profile dependence of the entanglement of this state is explored. Compared with fundamental mode pumping, an enhancement of approximately 33% is achieved using the suitable pump-profile mode. Our approach is potentially scalable to multimode entanglement in the spatial domain. Such spatial cluster states may contribute to future schemes in spatial quantum information processing.

Squeezed light at sideband frequencies below 100 kHz from a single OPA

Quantum noise of the electromagnetic field is one of the limiting noise sources in interferometric gravitational wave detectors. Shifting the spectrum of squeezed vacuum states downwards into the acoustic band of gravitational wave detectors is therefore of challenging demand to quantum optics experiments. We demonstrate a system that produces nonclassical continuous variable states of light that are squeezed at sideband frequencies below 100 kHz. A single optical parametric amplifier (OPA) is used in an optical noise cancellation scheme providing squeezed vacuum states with coherent bright phase modulation sidebands at higher frequencies. The system has been stably locked to a reference laser beam for half an hour limited by thermal stability of our laboratory.

Two independently tunable and synchronised femtosecond pulses generated in the visible at the repetition rate 40 kHz using optical parametric amplifiers

We report on a 40 kHz repetition rate travelling wave optical parametric amplifier (OPA) system designed for ultrafast spectroscopy. Two independently tunable OPAs seeded from a single white light continuum source each generate 40–75 nJ per pulse over a 480–730 nm spectral range when pumped by 1 μJ, 130 fs, 400 nm pulses derived from a Ti:sapphire regenerative amplifier. After removal of chirp, the cross-correlation between the two OPAs was measured to be 150 fs. Bandwidth was 205 ± 85 cm −1, consistent with the transform limit of the compressed pulses. A single OPA gave up to 280 nJ per pulse signal energy when pumped with 3 μJ per pulse.