| Generation of bright broadband squeezed light is of great interest from the viewpoint of experimental and applied physics. Squeezed states of the light field can be used for ultrasensitive interferometry measurements. Broadband light squeezing also can find a direct application as classical channel capacity enhancement in broadband coherent optical communication.; A degenerate (type-I) optical parametric amplifier (OPA), which is based on a periodically poled nonlinear crystal, has been built for research in quantum optics, to provide a source of broadband squeezed light. Through parametric down-conversion process in the nonlinear crystal, energy of pump light was converted to OPA's output 1064 nm light, and the output light is phase-quadrature broadband squeezed. Moreover, the OPA has been operated in the state of a free-running emitter with no servo loops for cavity length control and phase control to verify the intrinsic stability of the OPA.; Sensitivity enhancement of optical interferometry has been observed by homodyne detection measurements with the OPO-generated broadband squeezed light as an input beam. This experiment is also a demonstration of the increase of the classical channel capacity beyond that of a coherent state in coherent optical communication. |
