title: Noiseless optical amplification in quasi-phase-matched bulk lithium niobate.
abstract: An optical parametric amplifier (OPA) has been demonstrated in bulk, periodically poled lithium niobate and is shown to operate with a noise figure well below the classical limit. In contrast to conventional OPA's, this device uses quasi-phase matching to provide the coupling between the pump and the signal. Comparison of the measured performance with that of a theoretical model reveals that the main intrinsic contribution to the output noise is due to spatial and temporal mode mixing, which arises as a consequence of tight focusing of the incident beams. Factors that affect the performance of this amplifier are identified theoretically and their relative importance investigated for both amplification and squeezing.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lovering
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Levenson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vidakovic
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Webjörn
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Russell