Parametric amplification by spatial soliton induced transverse amplitude profile cloning

Abstract

Transverse profile cloning (TPC) of the amplitudes of a probe beam and of a generated four-wave mixing (FWM) beam by a strong spatial-soliton-like pump is obtained in an all-optical waveguiding configuration. The cloning arises from self-referential parametric amplification (PA) and creates a multiwave spatial soliton on propagation. We show that the PA is far higher than would be expected for plane-wave (PW) pump and probe fields. This is a result of the pump-induced focusing towards the axis of the highly amplified regions of the probe and FWM transverse profiles, which derive from the region of the pump profile that is near saturation. In this region, the phase mismatch is reduced to almost zero due to nonlinear effects. © 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.