Abstract

Understanding the impact of distinct sources of noise in applications of nonlinear optics is very important since it allows one to manage the statistical properties of the generated signal. Two classes of noise will impact the stability of the output signal of a nonlinear system: classical noise from the system’s coupling to a noisy environment and quantum noise that is an inescapable part of the nonlinear interaction. In this paper we present measurements of the pulse energy statistics associated with weak Raman generation in optical fiber driven by noisy pump pulses. The results outline distinct domains where classical pump noise and quantum noise dominate the output statistics.

© 2003 Optical Society of America