Spatial instabilities and quantum noise in optical second harmonic generation

S. T. Gevorkyan, Gagik Yu. Kryuchkyan, Karen V. Kheruntsyan

M. Kozierowski, R. Tanaś

Peter Lodahl, Mark E. Saffman

We study the spatial distribution of quantum noise in singly resonant second-harmonic generation. Calculations are performed below threshold for spatial modulational instability. For parameters for which the intracavity fields are modulationally stable the spatial spectrum shows maximum squeezing at k=0, whereas under conditions of modulational instability we find maximum squeezing at finite wave number |k|=k(c), where k(c) corresponds to the classical critical wave number.

Ts. Gantsog, R. Tanaś, Roman Zawodny

Claude Fabre, Nicolas Pettiaux, Paul Mandel

We consider the process of second-harmonic generation (SHG) in a cavity that is resonant for both the fundamental- and second-harmonic modes. It has been previously shown that such a system displays a phase instability leading to self-pulsing and that one gets important intensity squeezing on both the fundamental- and second-harmonic mode for pump intensities close to but below, this instability threshold. Such a squeezing has been recently observed. We have analytically calculated the intensity-noise spectrum of the frequency-doubled field above such an instability threshold, using a semiclassical input-output technique for the treatment of quantum fluctuations.1 Such a method, introduced to deal with fluctuations around a stable solution, has been generalized to the self-pulsing domain. As expected, the instability brings excess noise to the output beams, especially around the zero-frequency, the self-oscillation frequency, and its harmonics. Remarkably, some regions exist in which where the noise increase is small; squeezing still occurs in this frequency range far in the instability domain.

Morten Bache, Pierre Scotto, Roberta Zambrini +2 more

We investigate the spatial quantum noise properties of the one-dimensional transverse pattern formation instability in intracavity second-harmonic generation. The Q representation of a quasi-probability distribution is implemented in terms of nonlinear stochastic Langevin equations. We study these equations through extensive numerical simulations and analytically in the linearized limit. Our study, made below and above the threshold of pattern formation, is guided by a microscopic scheme of photon interaction underlying pattern formation in second-harmonic generation. Close to the threshold for pattern formation, beams with opposite direction of the off-axis critical wave numbers are shown to be highly correlated. This is observed for the fundamental field, for the second-harmonic field, and also for the cross-correlation between the two fields. Nonlinear correlations involving the homogeneous transverse wave number, which are not identified in a linearized analysis, are also described. The intensity differences between opposite points of the far fields are shown to exhibit sub-Poissonian statistics, revealing the quantum nature of the correlations. We observe twin beam correlations in both the fundamental and second-harmonic fields, and also nonclassical correlations between them.