We demonstrate experimentally and numerically an unexpected spectral asymmetry in the saturated-gain spectrum of single-pump fiber optical parametric amplifiers. The interaction between higher-order four-wave mixing products and dispersive waves radiated as an effect of third-order dispersion influences the energy transfer to the signal, depending on its detuning with respect to the pump, and breaks the symmetry of the gain expected from phase-matching considerations in unsaturated amplifiers. The asymmetry feature of the saturated spectrum is shown to particularly depend on the dispersion characteristics of the amplifier and shows local maxima for specific dispersion values.

© 2012 OSA

1. K. Inoue, “Optical level equalisation based on gain saturation in fibre optical parametric amplifier,” Electron. Lett.36(12), 1016–1018 (2000). [CrossRef]
2. C. Peucheret, M. Lorenzen, J. Seoane, D. Noordegraaf, C. V. Nielsen, L. Grüner-Nielsen, and K. Rottwitt, “Amplitude regeneration of RZ-DPSK signals in single-pump fiber-optic parametric amplifiers,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.21(13), 872–874 (2009). [CrossRef]
3. A. Vedadi, A. M. Ariaei, M. M. Jadidi, and J. A. Salehi, “Theoretical study of high repetition rate short pulse generation with fiber optical parametric amplification,” J. Lightwave Technol.30(9), 1263–1268 (2012). [CrossRef]
4. K. Inoue and T. Mukai, “Experimental study of noise characteristics of a gain-saturated fiber optical parametric amplifier,” J. Lightwave Technol.20(6), 969–974 (2002). [CrossRef]
5. M. E. Marhic, Fiber optical parametric amplifiers, oscillators and related devices (Cambridge University Press, 2008), Chap. 5.
6. A. S. Y. Hsieh, G. K. L. Wong, S. G. Murdoch, S. Coen, F. Vanholsbeeck, R. Leonhardt, and J. D. Harvey, “Combined effect of Raman and parametric gain on single-pump parametric amplifiers,” Opt. Express15(13), 8104–8114 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. P. Kylemark, H. Sunnerud, M. Karlsson, and P. A. Andrekson, “Semi-analytical saturation theory of fiber optical parametric amplifiers,” J. Lightwave Technol.24(9), 3471–3479 (2006). [CrossRef]
8. K. Inoue and T. Mukai, “Signal wavelength dependence of gain saturation in a fiber optical parametric amplifier,” Opt. Lett.26(1), 10–12 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. N. Akhmediev and M. Karlsson, “Cherenkov radiation emitted by solitons in optical fibers,” Phys. Rev. A51(3), 2602–2607 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. A. K. Abeeluck and C. Headley, “Continuous-wave pumping in the anomalous- and normal-dispersion regimes of nonlinear fibers for supercontinuum generation,” Opt. Lett.30(1), 61–63 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. M. Droques, B. Barviau, A. Kudlinski, M. Taki, A. Boucon, T. Sylvestre, and A. Mussot, “Symmetry-breaking dynamics of the modulational instability spectrum,” Opt. Lett.36(8), 1359–1361 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. G. P. Agrawal, Nonlinear Fiber Optics 3rd ed. (Academic Press, 2006), Chap. 2 and 12.
13. K. Inoue and T. Mukai, “Spectral hole in the amplified spontaneous emission spectrum of a fiber optical parametric amplifier,” Opt. Lett.26(12), 869–871 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Electron. Lett.

• K. Inoue, “Optical level equalisation based on gain saturation in fibre optical parametric amplifier,” Electron. Lett.36(12), 1016–1018 (2000). [CrossRef]

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

• C. Peucheret, M. Lorenzen, J. Seoane, D. Noordegraaf, C. V. Nielsen, L. Grüner-Nielsen, and K. Rottwitt, “Amplitude regeneration of RZ-DPSK signals in single-pump fiber-optic parametric amplifiers,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.21(13), 872–874 (2009). [CrossRef]

J. Lightwave Technol.

• A. Vedadi, A. M. Ariaei, M. M. Jadidi, and J. A. Salehi, “Theoretical study of high repetition rate short pulse generation with fiber optical parametric amplification,” J. Lightwave Technol.30(9), 1263–1268 (2012). [CrossRef]
• K. Inoue and T. Mukai, “Experimental study of noise characteristics of a gain-saturated fiber optical parametric amplifier,” J. Lightwave Technol.20(6), 969–974 (2002). [CrossRef]
• P. Kylemark, H. Sunnerud, M. Karlsson, and P. A. Andrekson, “Semi-analytical saturation theory of fiber optical parametric amplifiers,” J. Lightwave Technol.24(9), 3471–3479 (2006). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• A. S. Y. Hsieh, G. K. L. Wong, S. G. Murdoch, S. Coen, F. Vanholsbeeck, R. Leonhardt, and J. D. Harvey, “Combined effect of Raman and parametric gain on single-pump parametric amplifiers,” Opt. Express15(13), 8104–8114 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• K. Inoue and T. Mukai, “Spectral hole in the amplified spontaneous emission spectrum of a fiber optical parametric amplifier,” Opt. Lett.26(12), 869–871 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. Inoue and T. Mukai, “Signal wavelength dependence of gain saturation in a fiber optical parametric amplifier,” Opt. Lett.26(1), 10–12 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. K. Abeeluck and C. Headley, “Continuous-wave pumping in the anomalous- and normal-dispersion regimes of nonlinear fibers for supercontinuum generation,” Opt. Lett.30(1), 61–63 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Droques, B. Barviau, A. Kudlinski, M. Taki, A. Boucon, T. Sylvestre, and A. Mussot, “Symmetry-breaking dynamics of the modulational instability spectrum,” Opt. Lett.36(8), 1359–1361 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. A

• N. Akhmediev and M. Karlsson, “Cherenkov radiation emitted by solitons in optical fibers,” Phys. Rev. A51(3), 2602–2607 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• G. P. Agrawal, Nonlinear Fiber Optics 3rd ed. (Academic Press, 2006), Chap. 2 and 12.
• M. E. Marhic, Fiber optical parametric amplifiers, oscillators and related devices (Cambridge University Press, 2008), Chap. 5.

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