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Title: Excess spontaneous emission in non-Hermitian optical systems. I. Laser amplifiers

Abstract

Petermann first predicted in 1979 the existence of an excess-spontaneous-emission factor in gain-guided semiconductor lasers. We show that an excess spontaneous emission of this type, and also a correlation between the spontaneous emission into different cavity modes, will in fact be present in all open-sided laser resonators or optical lens guides. These properties arise from the non-self-adjoint or non-power-orthogonal nature of the optical resonator modes. The spontaneous-emission rate is only slightly enhanced in stable-resonator or index-guided structures, but can become very much larger than normal in gain-guided or geometrically unstable structures. Optical resonators or lens guides that have an excess noise emission necessarily also exhibit an ''excess initial-mode excitation factor'' for externally injected signals. As a result, the excess spontaneous emission can be balanced out and the usual quantum-noise limit recovered in laser amplifiers and in injection-seeded laser oscillators, but not in free-running laser oscillators.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Max-Planck Institut fuer Quantenoptik, D-8046 Garching, West Germany
OSTI Identifier:
6404218
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Phys. Rev. A; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 39:3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; LASER CAVITIES; EMISSION; GAIN; MODE CONTROL; NOISE; OPTICAL PUMPING; AMPLIFICATION; CONTROL; PUMPING; 420300* - Engineering- Lasers- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Siegman, A E. Excess spontaneous emission in non-Hermitian optical systems. I. Laser amplifiers. United States: N. p., 1989. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.39.1253.
Siegman, A E. Excess spontaneous emission in non-Hermitian optical systems. I. Laser amplifiers. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.39.1253
Siegman, A E. 1989. "Excess spontaneous emission in non-Hermitian optical systems. I. Laser amplifiers". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.39.1253.
@article{osti_6404218,
title = {Excess spontaneous emission in non-Hermitian optical systems. I. Laser amplifiers},
author = {Siegman, A E},
abstractNote = {Petermann first predicted in 1979 the existence of an excess-spontaneous-emission factor in gain-guided semiconductor lasers. We show that an excess spontaneous emission of this type, and also a correlation between the spontaneous emission into different cavity modes, will in fact be present in all open-sided laser resonators or optical lens guides. These properties arise from the non-self-adjoint or non-power-orthogonal nature of the optical resonator modes. The spontaneous-emission rate is only slightly enhanced in stable-resonator or index-guided structures, but can become very much larger than normal in gain-guided or geometrically unstable structures. Optical resonators or lens guides that have an excess noise emission necessarily also exhibit an ''excess initial-mode excitation factor'' for externally injected signals. As a result, the excess spontaneous emission can be balanced out and the usual quantum-noise limit recovered in laser amplifiers and in injection-seeded laser oscillators, but not in free-running laser oscillators.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevA.39.1253},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6404218}, journal = {Phys. Rev. A; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 39:3,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1989},
month = {Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1989}
}