System Performances of Fiber Optical Parametric Amplifiers

Abstract

The research field of fiber optical parametric amplifiers has steadily expanded over the last two decades as a host of all-optical signal processing techniques have been demonstrated in nonlinear optical fibers such as wavelength conversion, optical regeneration, optical switching, limiting, buffering, and sampling. This article reviews the system performances of theses parametric devices such as gain bandwidth, focuses on the main limitations and demonstrates efficient techniques for suppressing them.

* Arnaud Mussot is now with the Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers Atomes et Molécules, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, 59655 Villeneuve d'Asq cedex, France.

† Armand Vedadi is now with the Institute of Advanced Telecommunications, Swansea University, Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP Wales, United Kingdom.

‡ Laurent Provino is now with PERFOS, 11 rue de Broglie, 22300 Lannion, France.

Keywords:

• amplifiers and converters
• nonlinear optics
• optical amplifiers
• optical fibers
• parametric

Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by Alcatel Research and Innovation and by the Conseil Régional de Franche-Comté. The authors thank A. Durecu-Legrand, C. Simmoneau, and D. Bayart for fruitful collaboration, N. Grossard and J. Hauden from Photlines Technologies for providing the optical phase modulator, and F. Patois and J. M. Merolla for loaning the BOSA. The authors also thank Sumitomo Electrics for providing the highly nonlinear fibers.

Notes

* Arnaud Mussot is now with the Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers Atomes et Molécules, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, 59655 Villeneuve d'Asq cedex, France.

† Armand Vedadi is now with the Institute of Advanced Telecommunications, Swansea University, Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP Wales, United Kingdom.

‡ Laurent Provino is now with PERFOS, 11 rue de Broglie, 22300 Lannion, France.