Quantum Noise Characteristics of Nonlinear Optical Amplifiers

• Authors: R.W. Boyd , G.S. Agarwal , W.V. Davis , A.L. Gaeta , E.M. Nagasako , M. Kauranen
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Quantum mechanical arguments show that any optical amplifier must add noise to the amplified beam of light. For the case of a high gain amplifier with a coherent (Poissonian) input, the signal-to-noise ratio of the amplified beam must be at least two times smaller than that of the incident beam. We review the theoretical basis of this prediction. We also describe the results of our experimental investigations of the noise properties of optical amplifiers that utilize the nonlinear optical response of strongly driven atomic transitions.

Keywords

EN

42.65.-k; 42.50.Lc

• Publisher: Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Acta Physica Polonica A
• Year: 1994
• Volume: 86
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 117-126

Dates

published

1994-07

Contributors

author

R.W. Boyd

• The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA

author

G.S. Agarwal

• School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500 134, India

author

W.V. Davis

• The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA

author

A.L. Gaeta

• School of Applied Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA

author

E.M. Nagasako

• The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA

author

M. Kauranen

• University of Leuven, Celestijnenlann 200 D, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium