Polarization Independent Amplification and Frequency Conversion in Strongly Birefringent Fibers
13 October 2008
The inverse modulation interaction is a degenerate four-wave mixing process in which two strong pumps drive a weak signal, whose frequency is the average of the pump frequencies. A previous report (ITD-08-48068Y) considered the case in which the wave frequencies are near the zero-dispersion-frequency and the effects of dispersion can be neglected. This report considers the opposite case, in which most of the wave frequencies are far from the zero-dispersion frequency and the effects of dispersion are important. Theoretical analyses and numerical simulations show that the inverse modulation interaction in a strongly-birefringent fiber produces polarization-independent phase-sensitive amplification. Phase conjugation and Bragg scattering are nondegenerate four-wave mixing processes in which two strong pumps drive a weak signal and a weak idler. Studies show that phase conjugation and Bragg scattering in strongly-birefringent fibers produce polarization-independent phase-insensitive amplification and frequency conversion, respectively.