Three-Wave Mixing

In a parametric amplifier, a pump beam generates signal and idler beams

by interacting with a χ(2) nonlinearity.

 
Full Hamiltonian: H = h̄κ âs† âi† b̂ + âs âi b̂†
 
Hamiltonian for degenerate RWA case: H = h̄χβ p â†2 e−iφ + â2 eiφ
The Hamiltonian has the same form of the squeezing operator.

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Three-Wave Mixing - Squeezing Derivation
Heisenberg equations of motion:

â˙ = −iΩp ↠e−iφ , â˙ † = iΩp âeiφ ,

where Ωp = 2χβ p is the effective Rabi frequency. We can then isolate the
signal evolution:
   
â(t) = â(0) cosh Ωp t − i↠(0) sinh Ωp t e−iφ ,
   
↠(t) = ↠(0) cosh Ωp t + iâ(0) sinh Ωp t eiφ .

If we consider the signal to be initially in the vacuum state, then we can

write the time-dependent variance of the quadratures:

2 1 2 1
∆X1 (t) = e−2u , ∆X2 (t) = e2u ,
4 4
where u = Ωp t is the effective squeezing parameter.
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Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO)1

OPO Threshold
The OPO operates in a linear regime only in the field does not have
exponential power build-up inside the cavity. Otherwise, it is said to
operate above threshold, in a nonlinear regime. The OPO is stable
imposing that the intracavity power gain is equal to the cavity
losses.

1 Boyd, R. W. Nonlinear optics. (Academic press, 2003), Chapter 2.9.

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OPO Stability Analysis2
From the theory of nonlinear parametric amplification, it is possible to
compute the gain of an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The
coupled-amplitude equations for signal and idler field take the form:
dA1 2iω12 deff ∗ i∆kz dA2 2iω22 deff
= A3 A2 e , = A3 A1∗ ei∆kz , (1)
dz k1 c2 dz k2 c2
where we define ∆k ≡ k3 − k1 − k2 . Solving the equations, we get the
spatial evolution of the fields:
 ! 
i∆k κ1
A1 (z) = A1 (0) cosh gz − sinh gz + A2∗ (0) sinh gz ei∆kz/2 ,
2g g
 ! 
i∆k κ 2
A2 (z) = A2 (0) cosh gz − sinh gz + A1∗ (0) sinh gz ei∆kz/2 ,
2g g
h i1/2 2iωi2 deff A3
g = κ1 κ2∗ − (∆k/2)2 and κi =
ki c2
2 Boyd, R. W. Nonlinear optics. (Academic press, 2003), Chapter 2.9.
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Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO)
To avoid exponential amplitude build-up, one must impose that the fields
must replicate themselves after each roundtrip:
" #
κ1 ∗
A1 (0) = A1 (0) cosh gL + A2 (0) sinh gL (1 − l1 ) ,
g
" #
κ ∗
A2∗ (0) = A2∗ (0) cosh gL + 2 A1 (0) sinh gL (1 − l2 ) ,
g

where li is the fractional loss per pass. This is ensured imposing:

l1 l2
cosh gL = 1 +
2 − l1 − l2
For a degenerate OPO (ω1 = ω2 ), the losses are small for both fields. The
condition becomes:
g2 L2 = l1 l2 .

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OPO Squeezing Limits
The OPO threshold impose a limitation on the achievable gain in an OPO
to ensure stability.

Output Field Squeezing Limit

The squeezing on the output field from an OPO grows with the pump
power. The maximum achievable squeezing is however limited from
the OPO threshold. Above threshold, the OPO does not operate in a
linear regime.

On the other hand, there is also a fundamental limit on the maximum

intracavity squeezing.

3dB Limit on Intracavity Squeezing

The maximum intracavity squeezing achievable in an OPO is equal to
3dB. This is due to the vacuum fluctuations entering the cavity field
through the partially trasmitting mirror. These fluctuations add quantum
noise, which prevents the field squeezing.
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Standard 3dB Limit on Intracavity Squeezing

The treatment starts from the OPO’s Quantum Langevin Equations:

κ κ
â˙ = −Ωp ↠− â + F̂(t), â˙ † = −Ωp â − ↠+ F̂† (t),
2 2
where κ is the cavity decay rate, Ωp = 2χβ p is the effective Rabi
frequency (proportional
D to the pump field amplitude β p ), and the noise is
0

E
† = κδ t − t0 .


delta-correlated F̂(t)F̂ t
We can compute mean field time evolution:
   D E  
ha(t)i = â(0) cosh Ωp t − â (0) sinh Ωp t e−κt/2 ,
†

D E D E    
â(t) = â(0) cosh Ωp t − ha(t)i sinh Ωp t e−κt/2 .
† †

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Standard 3dB Limit on Intracavity Squeezing
Quantum noise enters the process through the non zero correlator when
computing the following steady-state bilinear quantities:
"  # −1
D E −κΩp κ 2
â2
= − Ωp2
,
ss 4 2
"  # −1
D E −κΩp κ 2
â †2
= − Ωp 2
,
ss 4 2
"  # −1
  2 2
κ κ
â↠+ ↠â = − Ω2p
ss 4 2
In terms of the standard quadratures variances, these become:
D E 1 κ D E 1 κ
∆X̂12 =  , ∆X̂22 =  .
ss 8 κ +Ω ss 8 κ −Ω
2 p 2 p

The best squeezing happens for Ωp = κ/2, where ∆X̂12 is decreased by

50%. This is the standard 3dB intracavity squeezing limit.
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Squeezing Spectrum
The squeezing limit on the output field is given by the OPO threshold,
which limits the achievable gain. The squeezing spectrum can be
obtained3 combining the previous QLEs and the input-ouput relations:
Squeezing Spectrum
The squeezing spectrum is shaped as an inverted Lorentzian:

Sout 2κΩp
= 1−  2 ,
Sin κ
2 + Ω p + ( ω − ω0 ) 2

where ω0 is the cavity field central frequency and ω in the output field
Fourier frequency. The squeezing bandwidth is limited by the cavity
linewidth κ. Perfect squeezing cannot be achieved as, to stabilize the
OPO below threshold, Ωp ≤ κ/2.

Additional limitations arise when phase noise in the pump is considered4 .

3 see Scully Ch. 16.3
4 see Scully Ch. 16.1
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