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Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology

© Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta

Last update: 2009-11-20

Acronym: FWM

Definition: an interaction of light waves based on a χ⁽³⁾ nonlinearity

Four-wave mixing is a nonlinear effect arising from a third-order optical nonlinearity, as is described with a χ⁽³⁾ coefficient. It can occur if at least two different frequency components propagate together in a nonlinear medium such as an optical fiber. Assuming just two input frequency components ν₁ and ν₂ (with ν₂ > ν₁), a refractive index modulation at the difference frequency occurs, which creates two additional frequency components (Figure 1). In effect, two new frequency components are generated: ν₃ = ν₁ − (ν₂ − ν₁) = 2 ν₁ − ν₂ and ν₄ = ν₂ + (ν₂ − ν₁) = 2 ν₂ − ν₁. Furthermore, a pre-existing wave a the frequency ν₃ or ν₄ can be amplified, i.e., it experiences parametric amplification [2].

As four-wave mixing is a phase-sensitive process (i.e., the interaction depends on the relative phases of all beams), its effect can efficiently accumulate over longer distances e.g. in a fiber only if a phase-matching condition is satisfied. This is approximately the case if the frequencies involved are close to each other, or if the chromatic dispersion profile has a suitable shape. In other cases, where there is a strong phase mismatch, four-wave mixing is effectively suppressed. In bulk media, phase matching may also be achieved by using appropriate angles between the beams.

Four-wave mixing in fibers is related to self-phase modulation and cross-phase modulation: all these effects originate from the same (Kerr) nonlinearity and differ only in terms of degeneracy of the waves involved.

Four-wave mixing is relevant in a variety of different situations. Some examples are:

• It can be involved in strong spectral broadening in fiber amplifiers e.g. for nanosecond pulses. For some applications, this effect is made very strong and then called supercontinuum generation. Various nonlinear effects are involved here, and four-wave mixing is particularly important in situations with long pump pulses.
• The parametric amplification by four-wave mixing can be utilized in fiber-based optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) and oscillators (OPOs). Here, the frequencies ν₁ and ν₂ often coincide. In contrast to OPOs and OPAs based on a χ⁽²⁾ nonlinear medium, such fiber-based devices have a pump frequency between that of signal and idler.
• Four-wave mixing can have important deleterious effects in optical fiber communications, particularly in the context of wavelength division multiplexing, where it can cause cross-talk between different wavelength channels, and/or an imbalance of channel powers. One way to suppress this is avoiding an equidistant channel spacing.
• Four-wave mixing is applied for spectroscopy, most commonly in the form of coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS), where two input waves generate a detected signal with slightly higher optical frequency. With a variable time delay between the input beams, it is also possible to measure excited-state lifetimes and dephasing rates.
• Four-wave mixing can also be applied for phase conjugation, holographic imaging, and optical image processing.

Bibliography

See also: nonlinearities, Kerr effect, phase matching, dispersion, supercontinuum generation, wavelength division multiplexing

Category: nonlinear optics

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