Abstract

For a single-frequency constant amplitude laser source operating far above threshold, the random quantum phase fluctuations are usually considered the major source of optical spectral spread. The phase noise of a single-frequency semiconductor laser is a parameter of major importance in applications in which the temporal coherence properties of optical signals are involved. Such applications are the transmissions systems and the sensors in which phase-or frequency-modulated signals are detected by heterodyne or homodyne techniques or discriminated by direct interferometric detection.

© 1984 Optical Society of America