ABSTRACT
We experimentally investigate the evolution of the direct detection noise figure of a nondegenerate phase-sensitive amplifier based on a nonlinear fiber, as a function of the relative phase between the signal, idler, and pump, all other parameters remaining fixed. The use of a fiber with a high stimulated Brillouin scattering threshold permits us to investigate the full range of phase-sensitive gain and noise figure without pump dithering. Good agreement is found with theory, both for signal only and combined signal and idler direct detections.
ABSTRACT
Operation of a degenerate dual-pump phase sensitive amplifier (PSA) is thoroughly numerically investigated using a multi-wave model, taking into account high-order waves associated with undesired four-wave mixing (FWM) processes. More accurate phase-sensitive signal gain characteristics are obtained compared to the conventional 3-wave model, leading to precise optimization of the pump configuration in a degenerate dual-pump PSA. The signal gain for different pump configurations, as well as the phase sensitivity, is obtained and interpreted by investigating the dominant FWM processes in terms of the corresponding phase matching. Moreover, the relation between dispersion slope and the width of the signal gain curve versus the pump-pump wavelength separation is revealed, permitting the application-oriented arbitrary tailoring of the signal gains by manipulating the dispersion profile and pump wavelength allocation.
