title: Shot-noise-limited operation of a monomode high-cavity-finesse semiconductor laser for microwave photonics applications.
abstract: Shot-noise-limited laser operation over a wide spectral bandwidth is demonstrated by using a semiconductor active medium inserted into a high-Q external cavity. This approach ensures, with a compact design, a sufficiently long photon lifetime to reach the oscillation-relaxation-free class A regime. The laser relative intensity noise is limited to the shot-noise relative floor, -156 dB/Hz for a 1 mA detected photocurrent, over the 100 MHz to 18 GHz bandwidth. The optimization of the laser cavity is discussed, and convenient shot-noise-limited operation is shown to be a trade-off between the cavity length and laser mode filtering.
authors.affiliation: Thales Research & Technology France, Palaiseau.
authors.forename: Ghaya
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baili
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alouini
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dolfi
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bretenaker
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sagnes
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garnache