Abstract
A semiclassical model of optical amplifier noise in terms of photon-particle description and simple calculations is developed. The active-medium amplifier is modelled as a stochastic photon multiplier, whose statistical properties are derived from well-known results about branching processes. The effects on amplifier output noise caused by random amplification of input photons and by spontaneous emission are treated separately, and it is thus possible to ascribe output noise terms to specific physical mechanisms. In view of this, the 3 dB noise figure limit of optical amplifiers can be entirely ascribed to optical gain randomness. Since the results obtained here are coincident with those from quantum theories, it is concluded that the randomness of optical gain in a particle-like description is the correct semiclassical counterpart of vacuum-field amplification in wave-like formulations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
E. Desurvire, Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers: principle and applications (Wiley, New York, 1994).
R. Loudon, The quantum theory of light (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1983).
Y. Yamamoto, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 16 (1980) 1073.
T. Mukai, Y. Yamamoto and T. Kimura, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 18 (1982) 1560.
R. Loudon, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 21 (1985) 766.
N. A. Olsson, J. Lightwave Technol. 7 (1989) 1071.
S. Donati and G. Giuliani, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 33 (1997) 1481.
W. Feller, An introduction to probability theory and its applications, (Wiley, New York, 1957).
D. G. Kendall, Ann. Math. Statist. 19 (1948) 1.
P. Diament and M. C. Teich, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 28 (1992) 1325.
T. Li and M. C. Teich, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 29 (1993) 2568.
G. L. Cariolaro, P. Franco, M. Midrio and G. L. Pierobon, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 31 (1995) 1114.
G. M. D'ariano, Int. J. Mod. Phys. B 6 (1992) 1291.
R. J. Mcintire, IEEE Trans. Electron Dev. 13 (1966) 164.
D. L. Snyder and M. I. Miller, Random point processes in time and space (Springer, Berlin, 1991).
L. Mandel, Proc. Phys. Soc. 72 (1958) 1037.
L. Mandel, Proc. Phys. Soc. 74 (1959) 233.
A. Van der ziel, Noise. Sources, characterization and measurement (Prentice-Hall, Englewood cliffs, NJ, 1970).
A. Yariv, Quantum electronics, 3rd Ed., Wiley (1989).
H. A. Haus and J. A. Mullen, Physical Review 128 (1962) 2407.
C. M. Caves, Physical Review D 26 (1982) 1817.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Giuliani, G. Semiclassical particle-like description of optical amplifier noise. Optical and Quantum Electronics 31, 367–376 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006953800362
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006953800362