Parametric amplification and processing of optical signals

Abstract

Parametric devices based on four-wave mixing in fibers provide many functions that are required by optical communication systems. When operated in the linear regime, parametric devices provide amplification, frequency conversion and phase conjugation, all with high gain levels and broad bandwidths. They can also be used to monitor and switch signals. When operated in the nonlinear regime, parametric devices regenerate optical signals. In this paper the current status of research on parametric devices is reviewed briefly, and some promising directions for future research are indicated.

Optical signal processing by fiber-based parametric devices

“…These functionalities are all useful in optical communication systems. Demonstrated applications include monitoring [4], amplitude regeneration by gain saturation [5,6], phase regeneration by phase-sensitive amplification, impairment reduction by PC [7] and buffering. As fiber manufacturing improves, so also do the performance capabilities of, and range of applications for, parametric devices.…”

“…PDs have been made with standard single-mode fibers (SMFs), SMFs with small crosssectional areas, which are referred to colloquially as highly-nonlinear fibers (HNFs), and micro-structured fibers (MSFs). Recent research on the physics and applications of PDs made with standard SMFs and HNFs was reviewed in [1][2][3][4][5][6][7], and research on PDs made with MSFs was reviewed in [8]. Because detailed reviews of PDs already exist, in this paper the physics and selected applications of PDs are reviewed briefly.…”