Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Optical Engineering
Abstract
A quantum theory of the spectral width of a laser with a saturable absorber is presented. We perform a density matrix calculation yielding the off-diagonal element ρ n,n+1(t) which is proportional to the average value of the electric field associated with the laser field having a large photon number n. The general linewidth theory is applied to any general laser which has saturable absorber features for a portion of the building of the laser field. We have found that the saturable absorber action contribution to the linewidth of such a laser can be substantial. © 1998 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.
First Page
1775
Last Page
1779
DOI
10.1117/1.602011
Publication Date
7-1-1998
Recommended Citation
Sokol, M. (1998). Quantum theory of the linewidth of a laser with a saturable absorber: Phase diffusion. Optical Engineering, 37(6), 1775-1779.