Double-Cascade Continuous-Wave Four-Wave Mixing Scheme in a Coherent Cold Atomic Medium

We demonstrate the efficient generation of coherent light in a four-level double-cascade atomic medium by continuous-wave low-intensity laser radiation. We derive the corresponding explicit analytical expressions for the generated four-wave mixing (FWM) field. Dependencies of the intensity of the generate FWM field on the propagation distance, on the input-wave intensity, and on the photon detuning are investigated. To conclude, we also give a brief discussion on the experimental realization of the proposed scheme.     

Continuous-wave four-wave mixing with linear growth based on electromagnetically dual induced transparency

Using Schrodinger-Maxwell formalism, we propose and analyze a continuous-wave four-wave mixing (FWM) scheme for the generation of coherent light in a six-level atomic system based on electromagnetically dual induced transparency. We derive the corresponding explicit analytical expressions for the generated mixing field. We find that the scheme greatly enhances FWM production efficiency and is also capable of inhibiting and delaying the onset of the detrimental three-photon destructive interference by choosing the proper decay rate in the second electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) process.In addition, such an optical process also provides possibilities for producing short-wave-length coherent radiation at low pump intensities.     

Mid-infrared efficient generation by resonant four-wave mixing in a three-coupled-quantum-well nanostructure

We present a cascade configuration for the realization of highly efficient four-wave mixing (FWM) process in an asymmetric semiconductor three-coupled-quantum-well (TCQW) structure based on intersubband transitions (ISBTs). In the proposed TCQW scheme, the efficiency of the generated FWM mid-infrared (MIR) signal is significantly enhanced and the obtained maximum efficiency is greater than 50%. The corresponding explicit analytical expressions for the input probe and generated FWM pulsed fields are derived by use of the coupled Schrödinger-Maxwell approach and the FWM efficiency versus several variables is also discussed in details. Such a semiconductor system is much more practical than its atomic counterpart because of its flexible design and the wide adjustable parameters. This nonlinear optical process in the TCQW solid-state material can be used for efficiently generating coherent short-wavelength radiation.     

Efficient four-wave mixing of a coupled double quantum-well nanostructure

We propose an efficient four-wave mixing (FWM) scheme in an asymmetric semiconductor double quantum-well (SDQW) structure based on intersubband transitions, and obtain the corresponding explicit analytical expressions for the input probe and generated FWM pulsed fields by use of the coupled Schrödinger-Maxwell approach. Under the resonant and phase-matched conditions, the FWM efficiency versus several variables is also discussed in details and the maximum FWM efficiency of the system under study is greater than 25%. Such a semiconductor system is much more practical than its atomic counterpart because of its flexible design and the controllable interference strength. This nonlinear optical process in the SDQW solid-state material can be used for efficiently generating coherent short-wavelength radiation.     

A Formalism to Study the Propagation of the Four-Wave Mixing Signal in a Strongly Driven Two-Level System Immersed in a Thermal Reservoir

We analyze two analytical solutions for the study of the propagation of the four-wave mixing (FWM) signal in a strongly driven two-level system, when the stochastic effects of the solvent are explicitly considered. The first solution is valid only for a constant pump intensity, while the second solution considers pump propagation explicitly. In both cases, we were able to derive analytical expressions for the FWM nonlinear intensity signal in terms of the field amplitude and thermal noise parameters. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Efficient multiwave mixing in the ultraslow propagation regime and the role of multiphoton quantum destructive interference

We analyze a lifetime-broadened four-state four-wave-mixing (FWM) scheme in the ultraslow propagation regime and show that the generated FWM field can acquire the same group velocity and pulse shape as those of an ultraslow pump field. We show that a new type of induced transparency resulted from multiphoton destructive interference that significantly reduced the pump field loss. Such induced transparency based on multphoton destructive interference may have important applications in other nonlinear optical processes.     

Storage and Retrieval of a Weak Optical Signal Improved by Spontaneously Generated Coherence in an Atomic Assemble

We investigate the reversible storage of a weak single-mode light signal in a Λ-type three-level atomic system with spontaneously generated coherence (SGC) and pumped by an incoherent field.The scheme is phase-dependent.If the phase of the controlling field is set oppositely to that of the signal field,the combination of SGC with weak pump overcomes the drawback of incompletely retrieval in the conventional scheme,leading to 100% retrieval fidelity or even to the amplification of the retrieved signal with respect to its initial one.     

Use of multimode optical fibers for fiber-based coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microendoscopy imaging

A multimode fiber (MMF) was used for both delivery of excitation lasers and collection of returned coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) signals in a CARS microendoscopy prototype imaging system. We demonstrated a polarization-based scheme for suppression of four-wave mixing (FWM) signals in delivery fibers. Our experimental results showed that this polarization-based FWM-suppressing scheme can dramatically reduce FWM signals generated in MMFs, and MMFs can be used to produce CARS images in this microendoscopy system. The proposed MMF-based CARS microendoscopy imaging system with the polarization-based FWM-suppressing scheme offers a potential platform for building fiber-based CARS microendoscopes that can effectively suppress FWM background noises.     

A comparative study of modified PUSCA and paired PUSCA strategies in WDM system

In G.653 compliant fiber, four-wave mixing (FWM) is a dominant non-linear effect. Performance of optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) network based on G.653 fiber is affected by the generated FWM components. The paper aims to discuss the methods used to reduce the number of FWM components and make efficient utilization of bandwidth. We have earlier proposed two methods (a) modified periodically unequally spaced channel allocation (modified PUSCA) and (b) paired PUSCA. In this paper, we have compared both the methods by considering the ratio of increase in weighted average signal to FWM noise ratio to increase in bandwidth as a figure of merit. Further, the performance of paired PUSCA scheme on G.653 fiber has been compared with equally spaced channel allocation (ESCA) scheme on G.652 fiber in which FWM is not a dominant non-linear effect. We demonstrate that paired PUSCA on G.653 fiber performs better than ESCA on G.652 fiber when the number of channels is less than 30.     

Effects of the spectral inhomogeneity on the optical properties in the four-wave mixing signal

Effects of the inhomogeneous broadening on the optical responses of a two-level system in the four-wave mixing signal (FWM) were studied in this work. In this model, we introduced in the optical Bloch equations a stochastic Bohr frequency, generated as a consequence of the solute-solvent molecular collisions. These expressions are averaged in the statistical ensemble over all realizations of the random variables. Using the convolution theorem, it is possible to incorporate the saturation effects of the electromagnetic field treated at all orders of perturbation. For the averages, we have considered two distributions of linewidth. From the analytical expressions, for both linear and nonlinear responses, numerical calculations were carried out to obtain surfaces as a function of the magnitude of the pump field and the detuning factor. Saturation effect is shown in the linear and the coupled nonlinear responses. In this work, we have already considered the inhomogeneous spectral line and studied the cases in which all the fields propagate through the medium.     

Phase-controlled all-optical switching based on coherent population oscillation in a two-level system

We theoretically propose a scheme of phase-controlled all-optical switching due to the effect of degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) and coherent population oscillation (CPO) in a two-level system driven by a strong coupling field and two weak symmetrically detuned fields. The results show that the phase of the FWM field can be utilized to switch between constructive and destructive interference, which can lead to the transmission or attenuation of the probe field and thus switch the field on or off. We also find the intensity of the coupling field and the propagation distance have great influence on the performance of the switching. In our scheme, due to the quick response in semiconductor systems, a fast all-optical switching can be realized at low light level.     

Inhibiting the onset of the three-photon destructive interference in ultraslow propagation-enhanced four-wave mixing with dual induced transparency

We propose a dual electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) based multiwave mixing scheme that retains the significantly enhanced conversion efficiency enabled by ultraslow propagation of pump waves, yet is also capable of inhibiting and delaying the onset of the detrimental three-photon destructive interference that limits the further growth of the four-wave mixing (FWM) field. We show that the new scheme exhibits a wave-matching condition that is fundamentally different from the conventional FWM without EIT, and the efficient generation of the mixing wave is not critically dependent upon the FWM detuning to achieve constructive interference as required in the conventional FWM. These are significant steps forward in enabling applications of ultraslow wave nonlinear optics.     

Surface-mediated four-wave mixing of nanostructures with counterpropagating surface plasmon polaritons

We demonstrate that four-wave mixing (FWM) signals from individual Si nanoparticles can be generated by the surface fields of traveling surface plasmon polariton modes. We have chosen a counterpropagating excitation scheme in which the nanoparticle is exposed only to surface excitation fields and not to direct laser illumination. We show that background-free, surface-mediated FWM of nanoparticles can be acquired, and that the resulting nonlinear radiation is coherent.     

Generation of multiorder Stokes and anti-Stokes lines in a Brillouin erbium-fiber laser with a Sagnac loop mirror

We have demonstrated a novel multiwavelength lasing scheme in which a Brillouin erbium-fiber laser with a Sagnac loop mirror and a metal-coated planar mirror were used. The Sagnac loop permitted the simultaneous presence of a stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) pump and Stokes lines within the loop and thus generated high-order Stokes and anti-Stokes waves through a four-wave mixing (FWM) process. A total of 34 lines of Stokes and anti-Stokes waves with 0.08-nm line spacing was generated through the SBS and FWM processes with 1.5-mW SBS pump power at 1561 nm and 80-mW erbium-doped-fiber pump power.     

Polarization of four-wave mixing with electromagnetically induced transparency

The dependence of four-wave mixing (FWM) generated in Rubidium (Rb) vapor with electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) window on polarizations of the incident fields is studied both theoretically and experimentally. The polarization properties of FWM signal under diverse laser polarization configurations are studied and compared. The results indicate that FWM signal is linear polarized when all incident fields are linear polarized. However, FWM becomes elliptical polarized if any incident field is elliptical polarized. Moreover, the polarizations of the incident fields also influence the dressing effect of the coupling field on FWM process. As the polarization of coupling field (or probe field) varying from linear to circular, the dressing effect gets stronger. By controlling the polarizations of the incident beams polarizations, we can manipulate the polarization state of FWM signal and the dressing effect as well.     

Absorption-amplification response with or without spontaneously generated coherence effect in a four-level atomic system

We discuss and analyze the absorption properties of a weak probe field in a typical four-level atomic system in the presence of a spontaneously generated coherence (SGC) term. The influences of the SGC and a coherent pump field on the probe absorption-amplification are investigated. The results show that the absorption of such a weak probe field can be dramatically enhanced due to the SGC effect. At the same time, the probe-absorption profile exhibits a two-peak structure and the probe-absorption peak gradually decreases as the pump intensity increases. On the contrary, the amplification of such a weak probe field near the line center of the probe transition can be achieved by adjusting the coherent pump field intensity in the absence of the SGC effect.     

Investigation of odd-order nonlinear susceptibilities in atomic vapors

We theoretically deduce the macroscopic symmetry constraints for arbitrary odd-order nonlinear susceptibilities in homogeneous media including atomic vapors for the first time. After theoretically calculating the expressions using a semiclassical method, we demonstrate that the expressions for third- and fifth-order nonlinear susceptibilities for undressed and dressed four- and six-wave mixing (FWM and SWM) in atomic vapors satisfy the macroscopic symmetry constraints. We experimentally demonstrate consistence between the macroscopic symmetry constraints and the semiclassical expressions for atomic vapors by observing polarization control of FWM and SWM processes. The experimental results are in reasonable agreement with our theoretical calculations.     

在双Lamder模型中实现可调控光子带隙

研究驻波场相干驱动下四能级双Lamder模型的电磁感应光子带隙.当耦合场是远共振或共振时,来自于两邻近能级间的自发辐射相干效应(SGC)有助于实现一个或两个光子带隙.当自发辐射相干效应不存在时,探测场被原子系统强烈吸收,因此导致光子带隙严重形变甚至无法形成.数值结果表明,光子带隙结构是由SGC效应导致探测场和耦合场之间的相干增强Kerr非线性调制而产生,并改变驻波场的耦合方式,使系统实现单光子带隙转变为双光子带隙的动态调控.     

在双Lamder模型中实现可调控光子带隙

研究驻波场相干驱动下四能级双Lamder模型的电磁感应光子带隙。当耦合场是远共振或共振时,来自于两邻近能级间的自发辐射相干效应(SGC)有助于实现一个或两个光子带隙。当自发辐射相干效应不存在时,探测场被原子系统强烈吸收,因此导致光子带隙严重形变甚至无法形成。数值结果表明,光子带隙结构是由SGC效应导致探测场和耦合场之间的相干增强Kerr非线性调制而产生,并改变驻波场的耦合方式,使系统实现单光子带隙转变为双光子带隙的动态调控。     

Analysis of format conversion from optical 16QAM to QPSK based on cascaded four-wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifier

A scheme of format conversion from optical 16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (16QAM) to quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signal based on cascaded four-wave mixing (FWM) in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) is proposed. Theoretical analysis and simulations of the format conversion scheme are conducted to validate the feasibility of the proposal. In this proposal, the phase conjugated of 16QAM signal is generated after the first FWM process in an SOA, and then the QPSK signal is converted due to the second non-degenerate FWM (ND-FWM) process in another SOA. The performance and the optimal design of the 10 Gbit/s format conversion system under various key parameters of SOAs are evaluated and discussed. Simulation results present useful to enable interconnection between backbone network and access network.