Unimpaired phase-sensitive amplification by vector four-wave mixing near the zero-dispersion frequency

Phase-sensitive amplification (PSA), which is produced by degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) in a randomly-birefringent fiber, has the potential to improve the performance of optical communication systems. Scalar FWM, which is driven by parallel pumps, is impaired by the generation of pump-pump and pump-signal harmonics, which limit the level, and modify the phase sensitivity, of the signal gain. In contrast, vector FWM, which is driven by perpendicular pumps, is not impaired by the generation of harmonics. Vector FWM produces PSA with the classical properties of a one-mode squeezing transformation. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.