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Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Quantum-limited noise figure of networks of linear optical elements

M.E. Marhic

Published May 3, 2013• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The quantum-limited noise figure (NF) for a general combination of linear optical elements is obtained in a compact form. The entries in this expression are obtained from the classical input–output transmission coefficient of the signal, and of the various transmission coefficients from the noise inputs to the output. The same result is also obtained by means of a semiclassical derivation. The linear elements can be: population-inversion amplifiers, parametric amplifiers and/or wavelength converters, beam splitters, lossy fibers, etc. They form a network with a simple directed graph (no loops). We identify a class of networks for which Friis’ formula for concatenated elements holds. We verify the general formula for a variety of well-known cases. We also verify that the NF for an optical communication link periodically amplified by nondegenerate phase-sensitive parametric amplifiers (PSAs) is only about half of that for a similar system using degenerate PSAs.

DOI
10.1364/josab.30.001462

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The quantum-limited noise figure (NF) for a general combination of linear optical elements is obtained in a compact form. The entries in this expression are obtained from the classical input–output transmission coefficient of the signal, and of the various transmission coefficients from the noise inputs to the output. The same result is also obtained by means of a semiclassical derivation. The linear elements can be: population-inversion amplifiers, parametric amplifiers and/or wavelength converters, beam splitters, lossy fibers, etc. They form a network with a simple directed graph (no loops). We identify a class of networks for which Friis’ formula for concatenated elements holds. We verify the general formula for a variety of well-known cases. We also verify that the NF for an optical communication link periodically amplified by nondegenerate phase-sensitive parametric amplifiers (PSAs) is only about half of that for a similar system using degenerate PSAs.
Abstract Phase sensitive amplifiers (PSA), contrary to usual phase insensitive amplifiers (PIA), are in principle capable to achieve noiseless amplification, i.e. exhibit a quantum-limited noise figure (NF) of 0 db. When implemented using four-wave mixing (FWM) in a non-linear fibre, extra waves can be generated by undesired FWM processes, which may introduce extra input ports for vacuum fluctuations, thus potentially degrading the NF. In this situation, we give here a general analytical quantum derivation of the PSA NF, valid for an arbitrary number of nonlinearly coupled modes. This expression is usable as soon as a linear input-output relation can be found for the annihilation and creation operators of the involved modes. It predicts that the noise level depends on the number of interacting waves. We illustrate the usefulness of this expression in the case of six waves, corresponding to four interacting quantum modes. In this example the signal NF is degraded by 0.4 db, compared to 10 db obtained for PIA operation of the same scheme.
We analyze the noise characteristics of an optical transmission system repeated by two-mode phase-sensitive optical parametric amplifiers. In such a system, the non-degenerated signal and idler waves co-propagate through the link, interacting with each other in the optical parametric amplifiers. For the first time, we derive a closed-form expression for the accumulated noise using the quantum-mechanical Langevin-equation approach. The derived noise formula allows calculating the noise figure of the optical-amplifier chain under the influence of the internal loss of the amplifiers and the transmission loss of the link, thereby theoretically demonstrating its low-noise characteristics.
We analyze the noise characteristics of an optical transmission system repeated by two-mode phase-sensitive optical parametric amplifiers. In such a system, the non-degenerated signal and idler waves co-propagate through the link, interacting with each other in the optical parametric amplifiers. For the first time, we derive a closed-form expression for the accumulated noise using the quantum-mechanical Langevin-equation approach. The derived noise formula allows calculating the noise figure of the optical-amplifier chain under the influence of the internal loss of the amplifiers and the transmission loss of the link, thereby theoretically demonstrating its low-noise characteristics.
Recent theoretical work predicts that the quantum-limited noise figure of a x(3)-based fiber-optical parametric amplifier operating as a phase-insensitive in-line amplifier or as a wavelength converter exceeds the standard 3-dB limit at high gain. The degradation of the noise figure is caused by the excess noise added by the unavoidable Raman gain and loss occurring at the signal and the converted wavelengths. We present detailed experimental evidence in support of this theory through measurements of the gain and noise-figure spectra for phase-insensitive parametric amplification and wavelength conversion in a continuous-wave amplifier made from 4.4 km of dispersion-shifted fiber. The theory is also extended to include the effect of distributed linear loss on the noise figure of such a long-length parametric amplifier and wavelength converter.
Semi-classical noise characteristics are derived for the cascade of a non-degenerate phase-insensitive (PI) and a phase-sensitive (PS) fiber optical parametric amplifier (FOPA). The analysis is proved to be consistent with the quantum theory under the large-photon number assumption. Based on this, we show that the noise figure (NF) of the PS-FOPA at the second stage can be obtained via relative-intensity-noise (RIN) subtraction method after averaging the signal and idler NFs. Negative signal and idler NFs are measured, and <2 dB NF at >16 dB PS gain is estimated when considering the combined signal and idler input, which is believed to be the lowest measured NF of a non-degenerate PS amplifier to this date. The limitation of the RIN subtraction method attributed to pump transferred noise and Raman phonon induced noise is also discussed.