Fiber optical parametric amplifier pulse source: theory and experiments

An evaluation of a fiber optical parametric amplifier (FOPA)-based pulse source in terms of pulse width and chirp is presented. Experiments are performed when operating the FOPA as a pulse source, requiring a sinusoidally modulated pump. The FOPA is generating pulses at 10 GHz, and are measured using a streak camera capable of measuring pulses as a function of time, wavelength, and intensity. Experimental results are presented together with a theory for chirp and pulse widths that show good agreement.