Perturbation theory of quantum solitons: continuum evolution and optimum squeezing by spectral filtering.

We study the quantum-noise properties of spectrally filtered solitons in optical fibers. Perturbation theory, including a quantum description of the continuum, is used to derive a complete analytical expression for the second-order correlator of the amplitude quadrature. This correlator is subsequently used to optimize the frequency response of the filter numerically in order to achieve the minimum photon-number noise. For propagation distances up to three soliton periods, the length at which the best noise reduction occurs, a square filter is found to be approximately optimum. For longer distances, more-complicated filter shapes are predicted for the best noise reduction.

Soliton squeezing in a highly transmissive nonlinear optical loop mirror.

A perturbation approach is used to study the quantum noise of optical solitons in an asymmetric fiber Sagnac interferometer (a highly transmissive nonlinear optical loop mirror). Analytical expressions for the three second-order quadrature correlators are derived and used to predict the amount of detectable amplitude squeezing along with the optimum power-splitting ratio of the Sagnac interferometer. We find that it is the number-phase correlation owing to the Kerr nonlinearity that is primarily responsible for the observable noise reduction. The group-velocity dispersion affecting the field in the nonsoliton arm of the fiber interferometer is shown to limit the minimum achievable Fano factor.

Amplitude squeezing of light by means of a phase-sensitive fiber parametric amplifier.

We experimentally demonstrate generation of bright sub-Poissonian light by means of parametric deamplification in a phase-sensitive fiber amplifier that is based on a balanced nonlinear Sagnac interferometer. On direct detection, the photocurrent noise falls below the shot-noise limit by (0.6 +/- 0.2) dB (1.4 dB when corrected for detection losses). To observe the noise reduction we employed a scheme that used two orthogonally polarized pulses to cancel the noise that arises from the predominantly polarized guided-acoustic-wave Brillouin scattering in the fiber. We also present a simplified semiclassical theory of quantum-noise suppression by this amplifier, which is found to be in good agreement with the experimental results.