Broadband phase noise measurement of single-frequency lasers by the short-fiber recirculating delayed self-heterodyne method.

Abstract

Characterization of single-frequency lasers (SFLs) requires a precise measurement of their phase noise. However, there exists a contradiction between the frequency range and laser phase noise measurement sensitivity in the delay self-heterodyne method. Achieving a broadband and highly sensitive phase noise measurement often requires overlapping the results obtained from different delay lengths. In this study, we present a precisely designed short-fiber recirculating delayed self-heterodyne (SF-RDSH) method that enables the broadband and highly sensitive laser phase noise measurement in a compact setup. By designing the length of the delay fiber based on a theoretical model, the RDSH technique with a shortest delay length of 200 m enables a highly sensitive laser phase noise measurement from 1 Hz to 1 MHz for the first time, to our knowledge. In the experiment, we demonstrate the broadband phase noise measurement of an SFL by analyzing the 1st and 10th beat notes.