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Laser Noise

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You can buy low-noise lasers or equipment for the characterization of laser noise from:


Ask RP Photonics for advice on any aspect of laser noise, be it origins, simulation and modeling, optimization, measurement, or its effects. Note that Dr. Paschotta has a particularly strong expertise in this area. A Powerpoint presentation gives more details.

Definition: fluctuations of various parameters of laser light, such as the optical power and phase

Due to various influences of quantum noise and fluctuations of various technical origins, the output of a laser always contains some noise. There are different kinds of laser noise:

intensity noise spectrum

Figure 1: Intensity noise spectrum of a solid-state laser.

Origins of Laser Noise

The origins of laser noise can be divided into two groups:

Impacts of Laser Noise

Laser noise is important for many laser applications. Some examples are:

Methods for Noise Reduction

Laser noise can be reduced in many ways:

A prerequisite for effective noise reduction is that the origin of the most disturbing noise is known, in addition to the parameters determining the laser's sensitivity to thus noise influences. Depending on the case, it can be more effective to reduce either noise influences themselves or the laser's sensitivity.

Bibliography

[1]A. L. Schawlow and C. H. Townes, “Infrared and optical masers”, Phys. Rev. 112 (6), 1940 (1958)
[2]C. C. Harb et al., “Intensity-noise dependence of Nd:YAG lasers on their diode-laser pump source”, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 14 (11), 2936 (1997)
[3]B. C. Buchler et al., “Feedback control of laser intensity noise”, Phys. Rev. A 57 (2), 1286 (1998)
[4]T. C. Ralph et al., “Understanding and controlling laser intensity noise”, Opt. Quantum Electron. 31, 583 (1999)
[5]R. Paschotta, “Noise of mode-locked lasers. Part I: numerical model”, Appl. Phys. B 79, 153 (2004); R. Paschotta, “Noise of mode-locked lasers. Part II: timing jitter and other fluctuations”, Appl. Phys. B 79, 163 (2004)
[6]R. Paschotta et al., “Optical phase noise and carrier–envelope offset noise of mode-locked lasers”, Appl. Phys. B 82 (2), 265 (2006)
[7]R. Paschotta, H. R. Telle, and U. Keller, “Noise of Solid State Lasers”, in Solid-State Lasers and Applications (ed. A. Sennaroglu), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL (2007), Chapter 12, pp. 473–510

See also: noise specifications, quantum noise, shot noise, intensity noise, phase noise, linewidth, Schawlow–Townes linewidth, amplifier noise, coherence, stabilization of lasers, mode hopping, Spotlight article 2006-08-01, Spotlight article 2006-08-20, Spotlight article 2006-10-09

Categories: fluctuations and noise, lasers

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The Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology is also available in the form of a two-volume book. Maybe you would enjoy reading it also in that form! The print version has a carefully designed layout and can be considered a must-have for any institute library, laser research group, or laser company. You may order the print version via Wiley-VCH.

RP Photonics is pleased to grant open access to the online version of this encyclopedia as a service to the whole photonics community.

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You can get technical consulting from the author, Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta.

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