Quadrature squeezing with ultrashort pulses in nonlinear-optical waveguides

Using ultrashort laser pulses, we have observed quadrature squeezing and parametric gain in quasi-phase-matched KTiOPO(4) waveguides. Using a local oscillator pulse that is 2.5 times shorter than the squeezed pulse, we observed noise reduction of 12 +/- 1% below the shot-noise level. Parametric amplification and deamplification of a coherent seed pulse have also been observed, with no indication of gain-induced diffraction.