Experimental observation of excess noise in a detuned phase-modulation harmonic mode-locking laser
- Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, 150 Louis Pasteur, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5 (Canada)
The intracavity phase-modulated laser can work in two distinct stages: 1) phase mode-locking when the applied modulation frequency is equal to the cavity's fundamental frequency or one of its harmonics, and 2) the FM laser oscillation at a moderate detuned modulation frequency. In this paper, we experimentally studied the noise buildup process in the transition from FM laser oscillation to phase mode-locking in a phase-modulated laser. We found that the relaxation oscillation frequency varies with the modulation frequency detuning and the relaxation oscillation will occur twice in the transition region. Between these two relaxation oscillations, the supermode noise can be significantly enhanced, which is evidence of excess noise in laser systems. All of these results can be explained by the theory of Floquet modes in a phase-modulated laser cavity.
- OSTI ID:
- 20857756
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. A, Vol. 74, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.74.033805; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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