Physical Review Letters

Photon Statistics of a Dye Laser Far Below Threshold

Paul D. Lett, R. Short, L. Mandeļ

Published Jan 30, 1984• 66 citations

Abstract

The relative mean square fluctuations $\frac{〈{(\ensuremath{\Delta}I)}^{2}〉}{{〈I〉}^{2}}$ of the intensity $I$ of a single-mode dye laser have been measured by a photon counting technique, in the region from about threshold to intensities 1000 times below threshold. The results show a steady increase of $\frac{〈{(\ensuremath{\Delta}I)}^{2}〉}{{〈I〉}^{2}}$ from less than 1 to about 150 as $〈I〉$ is reduced, followed by a rapid drop to zero. This behavior appears to be described fairly well by an equation of motion containing both additive spontaneous emission fluctuations and multiplicative pumping fluctuations.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.52.341

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Physical Review Letters

Photon Statistics of a Dye Laser Far Below Threshold

Paul D. Lett, R. Short, L. Mandeļ

Published Jan 30, 1984• 66 citations

Publisher

Abstract

The relative mean square fluctuations

\frac{〈{(\ensuremath{\Delta}I)}^{2}〉}{{〈I〉}^{2}}

of the intensity

I

of a single-mode dye laser have been measured by a photon counting technique, in the region from about threshold to intensities 1000 times below threshold. The results show a steady increase of

\frac{〈{(\ensuremath{\Delta}I)}^{2}〉}{{〈I〉}^{2}}

from less than 1 to about 150 as

〈I〉

is reduced, followed by a rapid drop to zero. This behavior appears to be described fairly well by an equation of motion containing both additive spontaneous emission fluctuations and multiplicative pumping fluctuations.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.52.341

Related papers

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Physical Review ANov 1, 199017 citations

The relative mean square fluctuations

\frac{〈{(\ensuremath{\Delta}I)}^{2}〉}{{〈I〉}^{2}}

of the intensity

I

of a single-mode dye laser have been measured by a photon counting technique, in the region from about threshold to intensities 1000 times below threshold. The results show a steady increase of

\frac{〈{(\ensuremath{\Delta}I)}^{2}〉}{{〈I〉}^{2}}

from less than 1 to about 150 as

〈I〉

The probability distribution

p(n)

for the detection of

n

photons emitted by a single-mode dye laser in a short time at various excitations is measured, together with the distribution of time intervals between pairs of detected photons. The first measurement yields the probability density

\mathcal{p}(I)

and the moments of the light intensity

I

, and the second one the two-time intensity-correlation function. Measurements are also performed at three different wavelengths.

\mathcal{p}(I)

is found to have a two-component structure, and the relative intensity fluctuations $\frac{〈{(\ensuremath{\Delta}I)}^{2}〉}{{〈I〉}^{2}}$ grow, apparently without limit, as the excitation tends to zero, so that no thermal state is reached. A possible explanation in terms of pumping fluctuations is discussed. The correlation function has the form of a sum of three exponential functions, and the amplitudes and decay constants of the three components are derived. The effective decay-time constant exhibits a thirteenth-power-law dependence on frequency of the laser light.