Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Acta Physica Polonica A

Quantum Noise Characteristics of Nonlinear Optical Amplifiers

Robert W. Boyd, G. S. Agarwal, William V. Davis, Alexander L. Gaeta, Elna M. Nagasako, Martti Olavi Kauranen

Published Jul 1, 1994• 8 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Quantum mechanical arguments show that any optical amplifier must add noise to the amplified beam of light.For the case of a high gain amplifier with a coherent (Poissonian) input, the signal-to-noise ratio of the amplified beam must be at least two times smaller than that of the incident beam.We review the theoretical basis of this prediction.We also describe the results of our experimental investigations of the noise properties of optical amplifiers that utilize the nonlinear optical response of strongly driven atomic transitions.

DOI
10.12693/aphyspola.86.117

Related papers

Signal-to-noise characteristics of nonlinear optical amplifiers

Robert W. Boyd, G. S. Agarwal, William V. Davis +3 more

In this paper, we present the results of our theoretical and experimental studies of the noise properties of optical amplifiers that operate by means of nonlinear optical gain processes. We pay particular attention to amplifiers that utilize the nonlinear optical response of strongly driven atomic vapors, and we compare the results of our measurements with theoretical predictions for the quantum noise limit of an optical amplifier. Our work focuses on optical amplifiers that utilize the nonlinear optical response of atomic vapors.>

IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society Annual Meeting (LEOS)•Dec 30, 2002•0 citations

Quantum noise properties of a nonlinear amplifier

Roy S. Bondurant

We propose and analyze a nonlinear optical amplifier that is phase insensitive but has no additive noise. When the input field is in a coherent state, the noise figure is -6 dB when the gain is high. However, unlike conventional linear amplifiers with -3 dB noise figures, the detectibility of the amplified signal is not degraded. The amplifier is constructed simply, in principle, by the same type of nonlinear interferometer used in photon number quantum nondemolition measurements.

Physical Review Letters•Sep 13, 1993•4 citations

Noise properties of probe-beam amplification through two-beam coupling in potassium vapor

William V. Davis, Alexander L. Gaeta, Martti Olavi Kauranen +1 more

There is great interest in developing low-noise optical amplifiers that can be used in optical communication systems. Optical amplifiers have been constructed from laser amplifiers, optical fibers, Raman cells, χ(2) nonlinear crystals, and atomic vapors. Optical amplifiers that make use of two- beam coupling in atomic vapors are particularly important since they are able to amplify a continuous-wave multiple-transverse-mode optical signal with a single-pass gain greater than 10 at the bandwidths necessary for optical communications.1 For these reasons, we present an experimental and theoretical study of the noise properties of a probe beam amplified through two-beam coupling in potassium vapor. We also describe the conditions under which this optical amplifier can operate as a quantum-noise-limited linear amplifier.

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•May 2, 1993•0 citations

Statistical noise properties of an optical pulse propagating in a nonlinear semiconductor optical amplifier

A. Bilenca, G. Eisenstein

We present a theoretical analysis and an experimental study of the statistical properties of the noise accompanying an optical pulse propagating in a nonlinear semiconductor optical amplifier. Several degrees of gain saturation corresponding to different levels of optical signal-to-noise ratios (OSNRs) are examined. We employ the Heun numerical procedure to ensure proper convergence to the Stratonovich solution of the multiplicative propagation equation. This algorithm takes also into account the effect of gain saturation due to the amplified spontaneous emission noise. Moreover, the multicanonical Monte Carlo algorithm is used to efficiently calculate the probability density functions (pdfs), including the tails, of the peak of a pulse which emerges at the output of a saturated semiconductor optical amplifier. The results are compared to the corresponding pdfs obtained in a linear amplification system (where the optical noise is additive and Gaussian) having the same gain and under identical OSNR levels. We demonstrate that the pdf of the saturated amplifier is shifted toward lower power levels and is narrower, or equivalently, the mean and variance for the saturated amplifier case are smaller. Also, the difference between the two configurations increases with the degree of gain saturation. The theoretical predictions are confirmed by a series of experiments in which the pdfs at the output of the linear amplification scheme and saturated semiconductor optical amplifier are measured for an optical pulse of /spl sim/ 70-ps duration.

IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics•Jan 1, 2005•21 citations

Quantum limits on noise in linear amplifiers

Carlton M. Caves

How much noise does quantum mechanics require a linear amplifier to add to a signal it processes? An analysis of narrow-band amplifiers (single-mode input and output) yields a fundamental theorem for phase-insensitive linear amplifiers; it requires such an amplifier, in the limit of high gain, to add noise which, referred to the input, is at least as large as the half-quantum of zero-point fluctuations. For phase-sensitive linear amplifiers, which can respond differently to the two quadrature phases ("$cos\ensuremath{\omega}t$" and "$sin\ensuremath{\omega}t$"), the single-mode analysis yields an amplifier uncertainty principle---a lower limit on the product of the noises added to the two phases. A multimode treatment of linear amplifiers generalizes the single-mode analysis to amplifiers with nonzero bandwidth. The results for phase-insensitive amplifiers remain the same, but for phase-sensitive amplifiers there emerge bandwidth-dependent corrections to the single-mode results. Specifically, there is a bandwidth-dependent lower limit on the noise carried by one quadrature phase of a signal and a corresponding lower limit on the noise a high-gain linear amplifier must add to one quadrature phase. Particular attention is focused on developing a multimode description of signals with unequal noise in the two quadrature phases.

Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields•Oct 15, 1982•1,723 citations

Gain characteristics of coherent optical amplifiers using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with Kerr media

Wataru Imajuku, Atsushi Takada

This paper investigates the gain characteristics of coherent optical amplifiers that amplify only one of two quadrature phase components in an input signal light according to the phase of pump light. It is constructed around a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with Kerr media. To heuristically obtain the design parameters of the coherent optical amplifier, small-signal analysis is adapted to the Mach-Zehnder interferometer with Kerr media. The theoretical results are then compared to experimental results and shown to agree well, which confirms the validity of this design approach. By utilizing low-loss and high-nonlinearity silica fiber as the Kerr medium and optimizing its length, a coherent optical amplifier is constructed that yields high-gain (up to 26 dB) operation.

IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics•Jan 1, 1999•16 citations
Quantum mechanical arguments show that any optical amplifier must add noise to the amplified beam of light.For the case of a high gain amplifier with a coherent (Poissonian) input, the signal-to-noise ratio of the amplified beam must be at least two times smaller than that of the incident beam.We review the theoretical basis of this prediction.We also describe the results of our experimental investigations of the noise properties of optical amplifiers that utilize the nonlinear optical response of strongly driven atomic transitions.
In this paper, we present the results of our theoretical and experimental studies of the noise properties of optical amplifiers that operate by means of nonlinear optical gain processes. We pay particular attention to amplifiers that utilize the nonlinear optical response of strongly driven atomic vapors, and we compare the results of our measurements with theoretical predictions for the quantum noise limit of an optical amplifier. Our work focuses on optical amplifiers that utilize the nonlinear optical response of atomic vapors.>
There is great interest in developing low-noise optical amplifiers that can be used in optical communication systems. Optical amplifiers have been constructed from laser amplifiers, optical fibers, Raman cells, χ(2) nonlinear crystals, and atomic vapors. Optical amplifiers that make use of two- beam coupling in atomic vapors are particularly important since they are able to amplify a continuous-wave multiple-transverse-mode optical signal with a single-pass gain greater than 10 at the bandwidths necessary for optical communications.1 For these reasons, we present an experimental and theoretical study of the noise properties of a probe beam amplified through two-beam coupling in potassium vapor. We also describe the conditions under which this optical amplifier can operate as a quantum-noise-limited linear amplifier.
We present a theoretical analysis and an experimental study of the statistical properties of the noise accompanying an optical pulse propagating in a nonlinear semiconductor optical amplifier. Several degrees of gain saturation corresponding to different levels of optical signal-to-noise ratios (OSNRs) are examined. We employ the Heun numerical procedure to ensure proper convergence to the Stratonovich solution of the multiplicative propagation equation. This algorithm takes also into account the effect of gain saturation due to the amplified spontaneous emission noise. Moreover, the multicanonical Monte Carlo algorithm is used to efficiently calculate the probability density functions (pdfs), including the tails, of the peak of a pulse which emerges at the output of a saturated semiconductor optical amplifier. The results are compared to the corresponding pdfs obtained in a linear amplification system (where the optical noise is additive and Gaussian) having the same gain and under identical OSNR levels. We demonstrate that the pdf of the saturated amplifier is shifted toward lower power levels and is narrower, or equivalently, the mean and variance for the saturated amplifier case are smaller. Also, the difference between the two configurations increases with the degree of gain saturation. The theoretical predictions are confirmed by a series of experiments in which the pdfs at the output of the linear amplification scheme and saturated semiconductor optical amplifier are measured for an optical pulse of /spl sim/ 70-ps duration.
How much noise does quantum mechanics require a linear amplifier to add to a signal it processes? An analysis of narrow-band amplifiers (single-mode input and output) yields a fundamental theorem for phase-insensitive linear amplifiers; it requires such an amplifier, in the limit of high gain, to add noise which, referred to the input, is at least as large as the half-quantum of zero-point fluctuations. For phase-sensitive linear amplifiers, which can respond differently to the two quadrature phases ("$cos\ensuremath{\omega}t$" and "$sin\ensuremath{\omega}t$"), the single-mode analysis yields an amplifier uncertainty principle---a lower limit on the product of the noises added to the two phases. A multimode treatment of linear amplifiers generalizes the single-mode analysis to amplifiers with nonzero bandwidth. The results for phase-insensitive amplifiers remain the same, but for phase-sensitive amplifiers there emerge bandwidth-dependent corrections to the single-mode results. Specifically, there is a bandwidth-dependent lower limit on the noise carried by one quadrature phase of a signal and a corresponding lower limit on the noise a high-gain linear amplifier must add to one quadrature phase. Particular attention is focused on developing a multimode description of signals with unequal noise in the two quadrature phases.
This paper investigates the gain characteristics of coherent optical amplifiers that amplify only one of two quadrature phase components in an input signal light according to the phase of pump light. It is constructed around a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with Kerr media. To heuristically obtain the design parameters of the coherent optical amplifier, small-signal analysis is adapted to the Mach-Zehnder interferometer with Kerr media. The theoretical results are then compared to experimental results and shown to agree well, which confirms the validity of this design approach. By utilizing low-loss and high-nonlinearity silica fiber as the Kerr medium and optimizing its length, a coherent optical amplifier is constructed that yields high-gain (up to 26 dB) operation.