Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Optical corpuscular theory of semiconductor laser intensity noise and intensity squeezed-light generation

Francine Jérémie, Jean-Luc C. Vey, Philippe B. Gallion

Published Feb 1, 1997• 8 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Fluctuations of the stored energy and the emitted power of a semiconductor laser are derived by classical corpuscular optical theory. The fundamental noise sources are the shot noise associated with a field’s conversion to emitting or absorbing atoms and the mirror loss noise. The latter is taken into account in the form of partition noise forces linked to laser facet reflection. The theory permits the description of the nonclassical states of light, and its results agree with quantum theory. For quiet pumping conditions and for a high-reflection coated Fabry–Perot laser, 50% of internal photon noise suppression is obtained, whereas nonfluctuating optical output is possible for negligible internal loss. The influence of gain suppression on amplitude squeezing is discussed. The effect of attenuation on the propagation of laser fluctuations is studied by use of the concept of optical partition noise. This leads to the invariance of a suitably defined relative intensity noise, which becomes negative for sub-Poissonian photon statistics. The setup for the intensity noise measurement with the balanced detection technique is analyzed by use of optical partition noise.

DOI
10.1364/josab.14.000250

Related papers

Corpuscular theory of intensity noise with gain compression

Jacques Arnaud

When light from a laser is fully absorbed by an ideal detector, the detected current exhibits a fluctuation called here ``photonic noise.'' The spectral density of Iintensity noiseR, defined as the difference of the photonic-noise spectral density and a term corresponding to the shot-noise level, is negative for sub-Poissonian statistics. The usefulness of the relative-intensity-noise concept is that it is independent of any linear attenuation. A simple circuit theory of intensity noise based only on energy conservation and the Nyquist formula (zero-point fluctuation) leads to expressions of the spectral densities that agree with quantum theory even for sub-Poissonian photon statistics. When the optical gain and loss are frequency independent, the circuit theory reduces to a corpuscular theory that keeps track of the time rates of change of electron and photon numbers treated as continuous variables. Consideration is given to laser diodes in which the rate of electron-photon conversion depends nonlinearly on both the carrier and photon densities. The cross-spectral density between electrical-voltage and relative photonic fluctuations is independent of internal or external optical losses. Standard rate equations are inaccurate in the case of gain compression. Very general yet simple formulas for intensity noise are applied to room-temperature GaAs laser diodes, using recently calculated optical parameters.

Physical Review A•Feb 1, 1992•16 citations

Quantum-noise reduction in semiconductor lasers

A. Jann, Y. Ben-Aryeh

A second-order correlation function approach is adopted to focus on the mechanism for generating amplitude-squeezed light in a semiconductor diode laser pumped with suppressed amplitude fluctuations. Second-order correlation functions between the electromagnetic field intensities and between the electromagnetic field intensities and the charge carrier numbers are calculated. Sub-Poissonian statistics and antibunching effects inside the laser cavity are analyzed; the analysis focuses on various quantities responsible for generating this state of the field. The influence of these quantities on the noise spectra of the detected field and conditions for quantum-noise reduction are considered.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•May 1, 1996•14 citations

Semiclassical model of semiconductor laser noise and amplitude noise squeezing. I. Description and application to Fabry-Perot laser

J.-L. Vey, Philippe B. Gallion

A semiclassical model of semiconductor laser noise, based on the Green's function method, is used to derive analytical formulas for the amplitude and frequency noise spectra taking into account incoming vacuum fluctuations and noise due to internal loss. This formalism also takes into account phenomena such as gain suppression as well as spatial hole burning (SHB). The amplitude noise squeezing is studied for Fabry-Perot structures pointing out the influence of the laser structural parameters. A complete agreement with already existing quantum mechanical models is found. However, extension of the model to SHB induces limitations in the squeezing performances, which are very important for more complex structures as will be pointed out in detail, in Part II.

IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics•Jan 1, 1997•20 citations

Semiclassical description of noise and generation of amplitude squeezed states with vertical cavity surface-emitting semiconductor lasers

Jean-Luc C. Vey, Wolfgang Elsäßer

Theoretical investigations of the generation of light with sub-shot-noise intensity fluctuations by vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers are performed with a semiclassical model. From these results we conclude that, because of their dimensions and structure, vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers are promising candidates for generation of amplitude squeezed states. Finally, the influence of internal loss, distributed reflection coefficients, and gain suppression is emphasized and discussed.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Jun 1, 1997•11 citations

Photon-number squeezed light generated by semiconductor lasers: Applications and quantum noise processes.

Daniel C. Kilper

In this dissertation measurements are presented that extend our understanding of the important noise processes involved in the semiconductor laser generation of photon-number squeezed light. Strong sub-shot noise correlations between photon-number fluctuations on orthogonal polarization axes are observed in the output of a low temperature injection-locked quantum-well laser. Such polarization dependent effects are accounted for by intrinsic correlations generated in the laser gain medium and polarization mixing due to birefringence. Using polarization preserving balanced homodyne detection, up to 4.5 dB of photon-number squeezing is reported, which is within 95% of the expected maximum squeezing based on the device quantum efficiency. The work in this dissertation demonstrates the application of such nonclassical fields to practical measurements that achieve sub-shot noise sensitivity. Coherent nonlinear optical spectroscopy with a photon-number squeezed probe field is used to measure the Urbach tail and exciton resonances in a GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well with sensitivity below the semiclassical shot-noise limit. Direct drive current modulation of an injection-locked room temperature laser results in a nonclassical amplitude modulated field with a signal to noise ratio that exceeds the maximum ratio permitted for a classical source under equivalent modulation conditions.

•Jan 1, 1996•0 citations

Squeezed Light Generation in Semiconductors

A. M. Fox, J.J. Baumberg, Maurizio Dabbicco +2 more

The signal to noise ratio of optical systems is ultimately limited by the shot noise due to the Poissonian statistics of the light field. In recent years there has been a considerable effort to find ways to overcome this limitation by generating non-classical light with sub-shot noise statistics. Several groups have demonstrated non-classical light generation in diode lasers or light emitting diodes, and the amplitude fluctuations have been reduced substantially below the shot noise level [1,2]. However, for phase-sensitive measurements it is necessary to generate the more general quadrature squeezed states. Such quadrature squeezed light can be generated either by second-order or third-order nonlinear processes provided the nonlinear material has very low losses at the optical wavelength. To date, the successful generation schemes for quadrature squeezed light have been restricted to atomic vapours, optical fibres, or second-order nonlinear crystals [3]. The possibility of using the large χ(3) nonlinearities of semiconductors at frequencies below the band gap where the optical absorption is small has been discussed in the literature, but so far there have been no successful experiments [4-6]. In this paper we report measurements on GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As multiple quantum well waveguides and bulk ZnS in the wavelength range 750 - 890nm. Although we measure much larger nonlinearities in the quantum wells, the strong two-photon absorption is detrimental for squeezed light generation. However, in the ZnS where the laser frequency is below the two- photon absorption edge, we have succeeded in generating quadrature squeezed light in a semiconductor for the first time. On the basis of our results, we would expect that squeezed light could be generated in many other semiconductor systems provided the photon energy is less than half the band-gap energy.

Quantum Optoelectronics•Jan 1, 1995•13 citations
Fluctuations of the stored energy and the emitted power of a semiconductor laser are derived by classical corpuscular optical theory. The fundamental noise sources are the shot noise associated with a field’s conversion to emitting or absorbing atoms and the mirror loss noise. The latter is taken into account in the form of partition noise forces linked to laser facet reflection. The theory permits the description of the nonclassical states of light, and its results agree with quantum theory. For quiet pumping conditions and for a high-reflection coated Fabry–Perot laser, 50% of internal photon noise suppression is obtained, whereas nonfluctuating optical output is possible for negligible internal loss. The influence of gain suppression on amplitude squeezing is discussed. The effect of attenuation on the propagation of laser fluctuations is studied by use of the concept of optical partition noise. This leads to the invariance of a suitably defined relative intensity noise, which becomes negative for sub-Poissonian photon statistics. The setup for the intensity noise measurement with the balanced detection technique is analyzed by use of optical partition noise.
When light from a laser is fully absorbed by an ideal detector, the detected current exhibits a fluctuation called here ``photonic noise.'' The spectral density of Iintensity noiseR, defined as the difference of the photonic-noise spectral density and a term corresponding to the shot-noise level, is negative for sub-Poissonian statistics. The usefulness of the relative-intensity-noise concept is that it is independent of any linear attenuation. A simple circuit theory of intensity noise based only on energy conservation and the Nyquist formula (zero-point fluctuation) leads to expressions of the spectral densities that agree with quantum theory even for sub-Poissonian photon statistics. When the optical gain and loss are frequency independent, the circuit theory reduces to a corpuscular theory that keeps track of the time rates of change of electron and photon numbers treated as continuous variables. Consideration is given to laser diodes in which the rate of electron-photon conversion depends nonlinearly on both the carrier and photon densities. The cross-spectral density between electrical-voltage and relative photonic fluctuations is independent of internal or external optical losses. Standard rate equations are inaccurate in the case of gain compression. Very general yet simple formulas for intensity noise are applied to room-temperature GaAs laser diodes, using recently calculated optical parameters.
A second-order correlation function approach is adopted to focus on the mechanism for generating amplitude-squeezed light in a semiconductor diode laser pumped with suppressed amplitude fluctuations. Second-order correlation functions between the electromagnetic field intensities and between the electromagnetic field intensities and the charge carrier numbers are calculated. Sub-Poissonian statistics and antibunching effects inside the laser cavity are analyzed; the analysis focuses on various quantities responsible for generating this state of the field. The influence of these quantities on the noise spectra of the detected field and conditions for quantum-noise reduction are considered.
A semiclassical model of semiconductor laser noise, based on the Green's function method, is used to derive analytical formulas for the amplitude and frequency noise spectra taking into account incoming vacuum fluctuations and noise due to internal loss. This formalism also takes into account phenomena such as gain suppression as well as spatial hole burning (SHB). The amplitude noise squeezing is studied for Fabry-Perot structures pointing out the influence of the laser structural parameters. A complete agreement with already existing quantum mechanical models is found. However, extension of the model to SHB induces limitations in the squeezing performances, which are very important for more complex structures as will be pointed out in detail, in Part II.
In this dissertation measurements are presented that extend our understanding of the important noise processes involved in the semiconductor laser generation of photon-number squeezed light. Strong sub-shot noise correlations between photon-number fluctuations on orthogonal polarization axes are observed in the output of a low temperature injection-locked quantum-well laser. Such polarization dependent effects are accounted for by intrinsic correlations generated in the laser gain medium and polarization mixing due to birefringence. Using polarization preserving balanced homodyne detection, up to 4.5 dB of photon-number squeezing is reported, which is within 95% of the expected maximum squeezing based on the device quantum efficiency. The work in this dissertation demonstrates the application of such nonclassical fields to practical measurements that achieve sub-shot noise sensitivity. Coherent nonlinear optical spectroscopy with a photon-number squeezed probe field is used to measure the Urbach tail and exciton resonances in a GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well with sensitivity below the semiclassical shot-noise limit. Direct drive current modulation of an injection-locked room temperature laser results in a nonclassical amplitude modulated field with a signal to noise ratio that exceeds the maximum ratio permitted for a classical source under equivalent modulation conditions.
The signal to noise ratio of optical systems is ultimately limited by the shot noise due to the Poissonian statistics of the light field. In recent years there has been a considerable effort to find ways to overcome this limitation by generating non-classical light with sub-shot noise statistics. Several groups have demonstrated non-classical light generation in diode lasers or light emitting diodes, and the amplitude fluctuations have been reduced substantially below the shot noise level [1,2]. However, for phase-sensitive measurements it is necessary to generate the more general quadrature squeezed states. Such quadrature squeezed light can be generated either by second-order or third-order nonlinear processes provided the nonlinear material has very low losses at the optical wavelength. To date, the successful generation schemes for quadrature squeezed light have been restricted to atomic vapours, optical fibres, or second-order nonlinear crystals [3]. The possibility of using the large χ(3) nonlinearities of semiconductors at frequencies below the band gap where the optical absorption is small has been discussed in the literature, but so far there have been no successful experiments [4-6]. In this paper we report measurements on GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As multiple quantum well waveguides and bulk ZnS in the wavelength range 750 - 890nm. Although we measure much larger nonlinearities in the quantum wells, the strong two-photon absorption is detrimental for squeezed light generation. However, in the ZnS where the laser frequency is below the two- photon absorption edge, we have succeeded in generating quadrature squeezed light in a semiconductor for the first time. On the basis of our results, we would expect that squeezed light could be generated in many other semiconductor systems provided the photon energy is less than half the band-gap energy.