Abstract

Accurate characterization and understanding of laser diode frequency noise are particularly important for the design of heterodyne optical communication systems. The nature of the frequency noise will substantially impact the design of modulation/ demodulation and acquisition/tracking systems. Measurements of linewidth,^1,2 line shape,^2,3 and frequency noise spectrum over a limited range^4,5 have been reported previously. By heterodyning pairs of laser diodes we have generated carefully calibrated measurements of frequency noise power spectral density over the widest frequency range reported to date and the first reported measurements of frequency noise statistics.

© 1983 Optical Society of America