Second-harmonic generation inside a laser cavity with slowly decaying atoms.

Abstract

We consider second-harmonic generation within a laser cavity. Garc\'{\i}a-Fern\'andez et al. [Quantum Opt. 2, 49 (1990)] found that large-amplitude squeezing may be obtained in the fundamental output if the cavity loss rates are high compared to the atomic decay rates. We extend their calculations, taking fully into account the phase diffusion of the laser field, and considering different dynamical regimes. We obtain large-amplitude squeezing in the second-harmonic output if the cavity loss rate at the second harmonic is high compared to the atomic decay rates. However, the cavity loss rate at the fundamental may still be slow compared to the atomic loss rate.