RUI: Amplitude Squeezing of Pulsed, Vertical-Cavity, Surface-Emitting Lasers

Whitman College, Walla Walla WA

Investigators

Abstract

This RUI project focuses on the generation of amplitude-squeezed states of light from vertical-cavity, surface-emitting lasers (VCELs), and, in particular, on what conditions produce the lowest amount of noise from a pulsed VCSEL and why this is the case. To this end the noise behavior of the VCSEL pulses will be thoroughly characterized. The laser will be operated under differing drive and feedback conditions, and the time evolution of the noise behavior will be measured. Coupling between amplitude and phase noise in the laser will be measured, and the technique of amplitude-phase decoupling will be used to reduce the laser noise.