Design of highly efficient four-wave mixing devices using optical fibers

A design theory of the four-wave mixing (FWM) devices using optical fibers is presented. We find that the signal-to-idler conversion process in the zero-dispersion wavelength region yields the widest conversion bandwidth, and the conversion efficiency can be maximized by choosing the optimum fiber length. The maximum conversion efficiency thus obtained is proportional to the square of the input pump power, but is limited by the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) process in the fiber. We show experimentally the improvement of the conversion efficiency by the SBS suppression and the validation of the proposed theory.<
>