  Squeezed light is a quantum resource that can improve the sensitivity of
optical measurements. However, existing sources of squeezed light generally
require high powers and are not amenable to portability. Here we theoretically
investigate an alternative technique for generating squeezing using degenerate
four-wave-mixing in atomic vapors. We show that by minimizing excess noise,
this technique has the potential to generate measurable squeezing with low
powers attainable by a small diode laser. We suggest experimental techniques to
reduce excess noise and employ this alternative nonlinear optical process to
build a compact, low-power source of squeezed light.
