Combined longitudinal and transverse noise enhancement in lasers

Abstract

Using a semiclassical approach we derive a general expression for the quantum-limited linewidth of a single-mode laser. We include both nonuniform properties of the laser medium and localized losses at mirrors and apertures. For such systems the transverse modes are known to be nonorthogonal, giving rise to an enhancement of the laser noise. The transverse factor varies, in general, along the propagation direction. The combination of transverse and longitudinal noise enhancement is far from trivial. In particular, we show that for an aperture in the cavity, the transverse excess noise factor is the geometric mean of the factors pertaining to the two regions in which the aperture divides the cavity. © 1998 The American Physical Society.