Heterodyne detection with an injection laser. Part 2; Signal-to-noise ratio

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/3.53383· OSTI ID:6608490

Marcuse, D ^[1]

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1. AT and T Bell Labs., Holmdel, NJ (USA)

The authors previously presented a theory of the conversion efficiency of the self-heterodyne laser detector. In this device a light signal is passed into the resonant cavity of an actively oscillating injection laser, causing an electrical signal at the difference frequency between laser and signal to flow through the wire supplying the dc bias to the laser. In this paper they derive an expression for the signal-to-noise ratio of the self-heterodyne laser detector. The authors' result shows that in the limit of ideal operation (that is complete population inversion and no internal losses) the signal-to-noise ratio of the self-heterodyne laser detector reaches one-half of the quantum noise limit. To describe the signal-to-noise ratio in a realistic self-heterodyne laser detector, the authors introduce an excess noise factor and plot its value for a few representative examples. Excess noise is typically on the order of 10 to 20 dB.

• OSTI ID: 6608490
• Journal Information: IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (USA), Journal Name: IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (USA) Vol. 26:4; ISSN 0018-9197; ISSN IEJQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426002* -- Engineering-- Lasers & Masers-- (1990-)
657002 -- Theoretical & Mathematical Physics-- Classical & Quantum Mechanics
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CAVITY RESONATORS
CONVERSION
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENERGY CONVERSION
EQUIPMENT
FUNCTION GENERATORS
HETERODYNE RECEIVERS
LASERS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
PULSE GENERATORS
QUANTUM EFFICIENCY
RADIO EQUIPMENT
RESONATORS
SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO