Shot-noise-limited operation of a monomode high-cavity-finesse semiconductor laser for microwave photonics applications.
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.
Baili
Ghaya
G
Thales Research & Technology France, Palaiseau.
Alouini
Mehdi
M
Dolfi
Daniel
D
Bretenaker
Fabien
F
Sagnes
Isabelle
I
Garnache
Arnaud
A