Transmission of signal and idler using optical parametric amplifier based on PPLN waveguide.

In this study, we attempted the repeated transmission of S-band signals by compensating for the loss of the transmission fiber using an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) based on a periodically poled LiNbO3 waveguide. We examined and compared the two configurations. The first method involved wavelength conversion of the signal to an idler, while the second method amplified the signal itself. In the latter case, we demonstrated repeated transmissions using external dispersion compensation. In the former case, we demonstrated that it was possible not only to compensate for fiber loss but also to reduce the accumulation of dispersion in transmission fibers by utilizing spectral inversion.

Impact of pump-phase noise in PPLN-based optical parametric amplifier and wavelength converter for digital coherent transmission.

Wideband signal amplification and optical signal processing with a high gain using an optical parametric amplifier based on a periodically poled LiNbO3 (PPLN) waveguide is attractive for constructing wideband optical fiber networks. We experimentally investigate the transfer characteristics of the phase noise of a pump laser in χ(2)-based optical parametric amplification and wavelength conversion on the basis of second-harmonic-generation and differential-frequency-generation processes. We also evaluate the effect of the transferred phase noise on signal quality in dispersion-unmanaged digital coherent fiber transmission systems. We show that the phase noise is transferred only to the wavelength-converted idler and does not affect the amplified signal even by using a pump laser with a MHz-order linewidth. We also show that the phase noise transferred to the idler light can have a similar impact on signal quality as equalization-enhanced phase noise (EEPN) in digital coherent transmission. The signal penalty including EEPN was evaluated with several pump lasers and at symbol rates of 32, 64, and 96 Gbaud. We also propose a method of using correlated pump lights between a wavelength converter pair to cancel out the transfer of phase noise.

Programmable time-multiplexed squeezed light source.

One of the leading approaches to large-scale quantum information processing (QIP) is the continuous-variable (CV) scheme based on time multiplexing (TM). As a fundamental building block for this approach, quantum light sources to sequentially produce time-multiplexed squeezed-light pulses are required; however, conventional CV TM experiments have used fixed light sources that can only output the squeezed pulses with the same squeezing levels and phases. We here demonstrate a programmable time-multiplexed squeezed light source that can generate sequential squeezed pulses with various squeezing levels and phases at a time interval below 100 ns. The generation pattern can be arbitrarily chosen by software without changing its hardware configuration. This is enabled by using a waveguide optical parametric amplifier and modulating its continuous pump light. Our light source will implement various large-scale CV QIP tasks.

Low-loss polarization control in fiber systems for quantum computation.

Optical quantum information processing requires low loss interference of quantum light. Also, when the interferometer is composed of optical fibers, degradation of interference visibility due to the finite polarization extinction ratio becomes a problem. Here we propose a low loss method to optimize interference visibility by controlling the polarizations to a crosspoint of two circular trajectories on the Poincaré sphere. Our method maximizes visibility with low optical loss by using fiber stretchers as polarization controllers on both paths of the interferometer. We also experimentally demonstrate our method, where the visibility was maintained basically above 99.9% for three hours using fiber stretchers with an optical loss of 0.02 dB (0.5%). Our method makes fiber systems promising for practical fault-tolerant optical quantum computers.

Non-Gaussian quantum state generation by multi-photon subtraction at the telecommunication wavelength.

In the field of continuous-variable quantum information processing, non-Gaussian states with negative values of the Wigner function are crucial for the development of a fault-tolerant universal quantum computer. While several non-Gaussian states have been generated experimentally, none have been created using ultrashort optical wave packets, which are necessary for high-speed quantum computation, in the telecommunication wavelength band where mature optical communication technology is available. In this paper, we present the generation of non-Gaussian states on wave packets with a short 8-ps duration in the 1545.32 nm telecommunication wavelength band using photon subtraction up to three photons. We used a low-loss, quasi-single spatial mode waveguide optical parametric amplifier, a superconducting transition edge sensor, and a phase-locked pulsed homodyne measurement system to observe negative values of the Wigner function without loss correction up to three-photon subtraction. These results can be extended to the generation of more complicated non-Gaussian states and are a key technology in the pursuit of high-speed optical quantum computation.

Quantum frequency conversion using 4-port fiber-pigtailed PPLN module.

Quantum frequency conversion (QFC), which involves the exchange of frequency modes of photons, is a prerequisite for quantum interconnects among various quantum systems, primarily those based on telecom photonic network infrastructures. Compact and fiber-closed QFC modules are in high demand for such applications. In this paper, we report such a QFC module based on a fiber-coupled 4-port frequency converter with a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide. The demonstrated QFC shifted the wavelength of a single photon from 780 to 1541 nm. The single photon was prepared via spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) with heralding photon detection, for which the cross-correlation function was 40.45 ± 0.09. The observed cross-correlation function of the photon pairs had a nonclassical value of 13.7 ± 0.4 after QFC at the maximum device efficiency of 0.73, which preserved the quantum statistical property. Such an efficient QFC module is useful for interfacing atomic systems and fiber-optic communication.

Broadband optical parametric amplification using PPLN waveguide pumped by detuned second harmonic.

Optical parametric amplification in the range of 1.3-1.8 µm was demonstrated by using a periodically poled LiNbO3 (PPLN) waveguide as a nonlinear medium by varying the detuning of the pump wavelength. A wide range of detuning was enabled by using a multiple-quasi-phase-matched (M-QPM) LiNbO3 waveguide for pump generation through second harmonic generation (SHG) and temperature control of the PPLN waveguide. Broadband optical amplification and wavelength conversion through difference frequency generation (DFG) are considered useful for widening the bandwidth of optical communication.

Generation of Schrödinger cat states with Wigner negativity using a continuous-wave low-loss waveguide optical parametric amplifier.

Continuous-wave (CW) squeezed light is used in the generation of various optical quantum states, and thus is a fundamental resource of fault-tolerant universal quantum computation using optical continuous variables. To realize a practical quantum computer, a waveguide optical parametric amplifier (OPA) is an attractive CW squeezed light source in terms of its THz-order bandwidth and suitability for modularization. The usages of a waveguide OPA in quantum applications thus far, however, are limited due to the difficulty of the generation of the squeezed light with a high purity. In this paper, we report the first observation of Wigner negativity of the states generated by a heralding method using a waveguide OPA. We generate Schrödinger cat states at the wavelength of 1545 nm with Wigner negativity using a quasi-single-mode ZnO-doped periodically poled LiNbO3 waveguide module we developed. Wigner negativity is regarded as an important indicator of the usefulness of the quantum states as it is essential in the fault-tolerant universal quantum computation. Our result shows that our waveguide OPA can be used in wide range of quantum applications leading to a THz-clock optical quantum computer.

Non-degenerate phase-sensitive amplification scheme using digital dispersion pre-equalization for unrepeated transmission.

We experimentally demonstrate an ultra-low-noise pre-amplification using a non-degenerate phase-sensitive amplifier (ND-PSA) with an optically dispersion-unmanaged link. Chromatic dispersion (CD) compensation is required for phase-sensitive amplification after fiber transmission. In the conventional transmitter configuration for ND-PSAs in which phase-conjugated light (idler light) is optically generated, it is necessary to optically compensate for the CD, for example, by using dispersion-compensating fibers. In this work, we propose an ND-PSA scheme using a digitally generated idler and CD pre-equalization by means of digital signal processing. We conduct an unrepeated transmission over a 200-km single-mode fiber with a 10-Gbaud 64QAM signal using the periodically poled LiNbO3-based PSA. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed ND-PSA scheme provides a low-noise pre-amplification that outperforms the EDFA without optical CD compensation.

Parametric wavelength conversion with bidirectional utilization of a multiple QPM device.

A configuration for wavelength conversion and optical amplification by parametric interaction using a nonlinear optical device is proposed. It enables pump generation through second harmonic generation (SHG), difference frequency generation (DFG), and optical parametric amplification (OPA) using a multiple-quasi-phase-matched (M-QPM) LiNbO3 waveguide in a bidirectional manner. Wavelength conversion for the 1.4-1.6 µm band is experimentally demonstrated. In addition, it is demonstrated that the parametric gain band can be changed using various detunings between the pump and QPM wavelengths used for the DFG/OPA process. The proposed method would be useful for enabling high-capacity optical transmission outside the 1550-nm band.

Over-30-dB gain and 1-dB noise figure phase-sensitive amplification using a pump-combiner-integrated fiber I/O PPLN module.

Phase-sensitive amplifiers (PSAs) via the optical parametric amplification (OPA) process are capable of near-noiseless amplification, which can improve the performance of optical communications systems. OPA based on periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguides is a proven means to implement a PSA with low additional nonlinear effects, such as frequency chirp, stimulated Brillouin scattering, and parametric crosstalk due to unwanted nonlinear interactions among pump and other signal waves. However, fiber compatibility is a challenge because optical coupling loss between a fiber and PPLN waveguide limits essential performance such as the gain and noise figure (NF), which makes PSAs still far from being practical. In this work, we developed a PPLN-waveguide-based pump-combiner-integrated OPA module with fiber input and output ports. With our recent development and optimization of the OPA module, we demonstrated high-performance phase-sensitive amplification with a gain of over 30 dB and an NF of 1.0 dB. In addition, we observed a 3-dB gain bandwidth of over 65 nm and flat NF characteristics in that wavelength band. The high conversion efficiency and high damage resistance of the PPLN waveguide, obtained by employing direct bonding and dry etching techniques, provide a high parametric gain. The low-loss coupling for the signal and pump between the fiber and a spot-size-converter-integrated PPLN waveguide through the dichroic beam combiner improve not only the gain but also the NF of the amplifier. Using the PSA as a preamplifier, the low-noise characteristics were confirmed by the sensitivity improvement provided by the low NF value.

All-optical phase-sensitive detection for ultra-fast quantum computation.

Phase-sensitive detection is the essential projective measurement for measurement-based continuous-variable quantum information processing. The bandwidth of conventional electrical phase-sensitive detectors is up to several gigahertz, which would limit the speed of quantum computation. It is theoretically proposed to realize terahertz-order detection bandwidth by using all-optical phase-sensitive detection with an optical parametric amplifier (OPA). However, there have been experimental obstacles to achieve large parametric gain for continuous waves, which is required for use in quantum computation. Here, we adopt a fiber-coupled χ(2) OPA made of a periodically poled LiNbO3 waveguide with high durability for intense continuous-wave pump light. Thanks to that, we manage to detect quadrature amplitudes of broadband continuous-wave squeezed light. 3 dB of squeezing is measured up to 3 THz of sideband frequency with an optical spectrum analyzer. Furthermore, we demonstrate the phase-locking and dispersion compensation of the broadband continuous-wave squeezed light, so that the phase of the squeezed light is maintained over 1 THz. The ultra-broadband continuous-wave detection method and dispersion compensation would help to realize all-optical quantum computation with over-THz clock frequency.

Continuous and long-term stabilization of degenerate optical parametric oscillators for large-scale optical hybrid computers.

The minimum requirements for an optical reservoir computer, a recent paradigm for computation using simple algorithms, are nonlinearity and internal interactions. A promising optical system satisfying these requirements is a platform based on coupled degenerate optical parametric oscillators (DOPOs) in a fiber ring cavity. We can expect advantages using DOPOs for reservoir computing with respect to scalability and reduction of excess noise; however, the continuous stabilization required for reservoir computing has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we report the continuous and long-term stabilization of an optical system by introducing periodical phase modulation patterns for DOPOs and a local oscillator. We observed that the Allan variance of the optical phase up to 100 ms was suppressed and that the homodyne measurement signal had a relative standard deviation of 1.4% over 62,500 round trips. The proposed methods represent important technical bases for realizing stable computation on large-scale optical hybrid computers.

Multiple optical carrier generation using frequency mixing in damage resistant multiple QPM device.

We devised a method for the measurement of the phase-matching curve of multiple quasi-phase-matched (QPM) LiNbO3 waveguide under conditions of high-power second-harmonic generation. The data obtained revealed that the phase-matching condition can be preserved due to the high damage resistance of the directly bonded LiNbO3 waveguide. Based on this evaluation, we tried to generate multiple optical carriers using multi-stage frequency mixing in the multiple QPM device. The multiple optical carriers have mutual phase correlation, which is suitable for coherent wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission. We also demonstrated 20 Gb/s quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signal generation using multiple optical carriers in order to ensure signal quality.

Optical pump phase locking to a carrier wave extracted from phase-conjugated twin waves for phase-sensitive optical amplifier repeaters.

In this paper, an optical phase-locked loop assisted by sum-frequency and second-harmonic generation (SS-OPLL) for frequency nondegenerate optical parametric phase-sensitive amplifier repeaters is experimentally demonstrated. First, theoretical derivations show that carrier extraction from phase-conjugated twin waves (PCTWs) and reference light generation are achieved by sum-frequency generation; therefore, the SS-OPLL circuit enables optical phase locking between PCTWs and a pump wave by a simple architecture based on a balanced OPLL. Then, optical phase locking between 20-Gbit/s quadrature phase-shift keying PCTWs and an individual pump source is experimentally demonstrated. Experimental results indicate that phase errors were reduced during the SS-OPLL operation.

Simultaneous nonlinearity mitigation in 92 × 180-Gbit/s PDM-16QAM transmission over 3840 km using PPLN-based guard-band-less optical phase conjugation.

We experimentally demonstrated the simultaneous nonlinearity mitigation of PDM-16QAM WDM signals using complementary-spectrally-inverted optical phase conjugation (CSI-OPC). We achieved reserved-band-less, guard-band-less, and polarization independent OPC based on periodically poled LiNbO3 waveguides. By employing the CSI-OPC, 2.325-THz-band (93 × 25 GHz) complementary spectral inversion was achieved while retaining the original WDM bandwidth. A Q2-factor improvement of over 0.4 dB and a 5120 km transmission with a Q2-factor above the FEC limit were confirmed using a 10-channel WDM transmission at the signal band center and signal band edge. We then demonstrated the mitigation of the nonlinear impairments in a 3840 km long-haul WDM signal transmission for all 92-channel 180-Gbit/s PDM-16QAM quasi-Nyquist-WDM signals.

Integrated quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generator and electro-optic phase modulator for low-noise phase-sensitive amplification.

We propose a quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generator integrated with an electro-optic phase modulator in a directly bonded LiNbO3 (DB-LN) waveguide to obtain high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) pump light for a phase-sensitive amplifier (PSA). This integrated device exhibits 1-MHz modulation and 1-W second-harmonic-generation properties sufficient for phase-locking between the signal and pump and for PSA gain, respectively. A novel PSA configuration based on the high-input-power tolerance of the device helps to suppress the noise from the erbium-doped fiber amplifier used for pump-light generation and leads to an improvement of the SNR of the pump light. The SNR improvement was confirmed by comparing the noise figure of a PSA employing the DB-LN waveguide with that of a PSA using a Ti-diffused LN waveguide modulator.

In-line phase-sensitive amplification of QPSK signal using multiple quasi-phase matched LiNbO3 waveguide.

Phase-sensitive amplifiers (PSA) using periodically poled (PPLN) LiNbO3 waveguides are promising as low-noise optical amplifiers. However, it is difficult to realize in-line operation for multi-level phase modulated signals using a PPLN based PSA with the conventional configuration. In this paper, we report a PPLN based in-line PSA that can regenerate quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signals. Multi-stage frequency mixing in a multiple quasi-phase matched LiNbO3waveguide allows carrier phase recovery from a QPSK signal. Non-degenerate parametric amplification enables the phase-sensitive amplification of a QPSK signal. Amplitude and phase regeneration is examined utilizing gain saturation and phase squeezing capability.

Properties of power dependence on low-crosstalk waveband conversion with an apodized multiperiod-QPM LiNbO3 device.

Quasi-phase-matched (QPM) LiNbO3 devices having a multiperiod-periodically-poled structure, which we call multiperiod-QPM LiNbO3 devices, are capable of shifting the idler waveband during waveband conversion via cascaded difference-frequency generation (cascaded DFG). However, these multiperiod-QPM devices have a problem that they produce extra ripples between QPM peaks in the phase-matching curve. These ripples cause crosstalk between wavebands arising from sum-frequency generation (SFG) between the signal and idler wavebands and subsequent DFG between the SFG wavelength and the signal waveband. To decrease the size of the ripples and thus that of the crosstalk, an apodized multiperiod-QPM device is developed. In demonstrating waveband conversion for low crosstalk with this device, we measure the dependence of the idler power, the crosstalk power, and their ratio on the signal power. This measurement shows that it agrees well with theoretical prediction and that the obtained feature of crosstalk reduction is kept even for decreased signal power.

In-line phase sensitive amplifier based on PPLN waveguides.

We demonstrate a χ(2)-based in-line PSA with a carrier-recovery and phase-locking system for a phase shift keying (PSK) signal. By doubling the signal phase using a wavelength conversion technique, the carrier was recovered from a PSK signal. The carrier phase was synchronized to a local oscillator using optical injection locking. Phase sensitive amplification with a wide phase sensitive dynamic range of 20 dB was achieved using degenerate parametric amplification in a periodically poled LiNbO(3) (PPLN) waveguide. The phase regeneration effect was examined for a degraded signal by means of constellation analyses and bit-error rate measurements. The in-line PSA also operated successfully as a repeater amplifier in a 160 km fiber link without a power penalty. Finally, we demonstrate the regeneration of non-linear impairments induced by fiber non-linearity.