Effective Noise Reduction by Electric Positive and Negative Feedback in Semiconductor Lasers

Semiconductor lasers tend to generate excess intensity noise called the optical feedback noise in addition to the quantum noise. A noise reduction method using an electric positive and negative feedback loop between an optical detector and a semiconductor laser was demonstrated in this paper. The electric positive feedback was set in a high-frequency region, reducing the optical feedback noise, while the electric negative feedback was set in a frequency range lower than the positive-feedback frequency, resulting in the suppression of the quantum noise (optical shot noise). Noise reduction over 100-MHz frequency region and a reduction ability superior to that obtained by the superposition of high-frequency current were confirmed.