Experimental evidence for Raman-induced limits to efficient squeezing in optical fibers

We report new experiments on polarization squeezing using ultrashort photonic pulses in a single pass of a birefringent fiber. We measure what is to our knowledge a record squeezing of -6.8 +/- 0.3 dB in optical fibers, which when corrected for linear losses is -10.4 +/- 0.8 dB. The measured polarization squeezing as a function of optical pulse energy, which spans a wide range from 3.5-178.8 pJ, shows a very good agreement with the quantum simulations, and for the first time we see the proof experimentally that Raman effects limit and reduce squeezing at high pulse energy. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America.