Demonstration of Ultra Wideband Phase-Sensitive Fiber Optical Parametric Amplifier

This letter demonstrates the capability of fiber optical parametric amplifiers, in phase-sensitive mode, to provide low-noise amplification over a bandwidth in excess of 170 nm, with the cutoff set as minimum gain of 10 dB. We have measured both gain and noise figure for two different lengths of the gain medium offering diverse gain profiles. Noise figure measurements confirm ultra-low noise operation along the four telecom bands-namely S-, C-, L-, and U-band. Electrical noise figures for a limited wavelength range were also measured to confirm the measured optical noise figures.