Excess spontaneous emission in non-Hermitian optical systems. II. Laser oscillators
When the Petermann excess-spontaneous-emission factor described in the accompanying paper (Siegman, preceding paper, Phys. Rev. A 39, 1253 (1989)) is taken into account, we find that the quantum-noise fluctuations or Schawlow-Townes fluctuations in the output spectrum of a laser oscillator will be multiplied by this excess noise factor. The excess spontaneous emission in a laser oscillator cannot be canceled by adjoint-mode-excitation techniques as it can be in a laser amplifier. The resulting noise enhancement can be very sizable (100 to 1000 times or more) in gain-guided laser oscillators, and especially in laser oscillators using geometrically unstable cavities with moderate to high magnifications and Fresnel numbers.
- Research Organization:
- Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik, D-8046 Garching, West Germany
- OSTI ID:
- 6503848
- Journal Information:
- Phys. Rev. A; (United States), Vol. 39:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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