Signal wavelength dependence of gain saturation in a fiber optical parametric amplifier

Signal gain-saturation characteristics in a fiber optical parametric amplifier are described. Experiments and calculations for the high-gain-saturation region are presented in which the direction of optical power transfer, which is from the pump to the signal and the idler in the unsaturated region, becomes reversed at high-signal-input powers. It is shown that the signal gain soon saturates for signal wavelengths far from the pump. This wavelength dependence is explained by the power-dependent phase mismatch and its behavior in the high-signal-input region. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 060.0370, 190.4370, 190.4410, 190.4970.