title: Polarization instabilities in a two-photon laser.
abstract: We describe the operating characteristics of a new type of quantum oscillator that is based on a two-photon stimulated emission process. This two-photon laser consists of spin-polarized and laser-driven 39K atoms placed in a high-finesse transverse-mode-degenerate optical resonator and produces a beam with a power of approximately 0.2 microW at a wavelength of 770 nm. We observe complex dynamical instabilities of the state of polarization of the two-photon laser, which are made possible by the atomic Zeeman degeneracy. We conjecture that the laser could emit polarization-entangled twin beams if this degeneracy is lifted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Center for Nonlinear and Complex Systems, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0305, USA.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Stenner
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Gauthier