Theory of intensity and phase fluctuations of a homogeneously broadened laser

We extend our previous quantum mechanical nonlinear treatment of laser noise to the following problem: We consider a set of atoms each with three levels, which support laser action of one or several modes. The laser action can take place either between the upper or the lower two levels. The atomic line is assumed to be homogeneously broadened. The broadening can be caused by the decay into the nonlasing modes, by the pumping process, lattice vibrations and other, non specified sources. The fluctuations of the atomic variables (or operators) are taken into account in a quantum mechanically consistent way using results of previous papers byHaken andWeidlich as well asSchmid andRisken. The laser modes are coupled to the thermal resonator noise usingSenitzky's method. In the first part of the present paper, we treat quite generally multimode laser action. It is shown, that each light mode chooses a specificcollective atomic “mode” to interact with. We introduce a set of suitable collective atomic “modes”, which leads to a simplification of the equations of motion for theHeisenberg operators of the light field and the atomic operators. From the new equations we can eliminate all atomic operators. We are then left with a set of coupled nonlinear, integro-differential equations for the light field operators alone. These equations, which are completely exact and valid both for running and standing waves, represent a considerable simplification of the original problem. In the second part of this paper, these equations are specialized to single mode operation, which is studied above laser threshold. In the vicinity of the threshold the laser equation can be simplified to an operator-equation, whose classical analogue is vander-Pol's equation with a noisy driving force. With increasing inversion, the full equation must be treated, however. Using the method of our previous paper, we decompose the light amplitude into a phase-factor and a real amplitude, which is expanded around its stable value. We determine the Fourier-transform of the intensity correlation function and the total intensity of the fluctuating part of the amplitude. Somewhat above threshold this intensity drops down with the inverse of the photon output power,P, while the inherent relaxation frequency increases withP. The noise intensity stems in this region from the off-diagonal elements of the noise operators and not from the diagonal elements, which are responsible for the shot noise. This result is insofar remarkable, as a rate equation treatment would include only the latter ones. Under certain conditions the intensity fluctuations can show resonances with increasing output power,P. At high inversion the vacuum fluctuations of the light field are dominant, while the other noise sources give rise to contributions which vanish with the inverse of the output power. As a by-product our treatment yields the following formula for the linewidth (half width at half power) which is caused by phase fluctuations:

$$\Delta \nu = \frac{{\gamma _{3 2}^2 \kappa ^2 }}{{(\kappa + \gamma _{3 2} )^2 }}\frac{{\hbar \omega }}{P}\left( {\frac{1}{2}\frac{{(N_3 + N_2 )}}{{N_3 - N_2 }} + n_{Th} + \frac{1}{2}} \right)$$     

Chapman-Kolmogorov equation and path integrals for discrete chaos in presence of noise

We derive an equation of the Chapman-Kolmogorov type for discrete multi-dimensional mappings under the action of additive and multiplicative noise with arbitrary distribution function. The resulting equation is reduced to a Fredholm integral equation. By iteration of the Chapman-Kolmogorov equation as usual, a path integral solution is found. Specializing the distribution function of the noise to a Gaussian distribution and taking the Fourier transform contant can be made with the path integral formulation used by Shraiman, Wayne and Martin.     

A nonlinear theory of laser noise and coherence. I

We consider the interaction of a set of atoms at random lattice sites with a decaying resonator mode. The optical transition is supposed to possess a homogeneously broadened Lorentzian line. The pumping is taken into account explicitly as a stochastic process. After elimination of the atomic coordinates a second order nonlinear differential equation for the light amplitude is found. In between excitation collisions this equation can be solved exactly if the resonator width is large as compared to all other frequency differences. In contrast to linear theories there exists a marked threshold. Below it the amplitude decreases after each excitation exponentially and the linewidth turns out to be identical with those of previous authors (for instanceWagner andBirnbaum), if specialized to large cavity width. Above the threshold the light amplitude converges towards a stable value, whereas the phase undergoes some kind of undamped diffusion process. We then consider the general case with arbitrary cavity width. If the general equation of motion of the light amplitude is interpreted as that of a particle moving in two dimensions, it becomes clear that also in this case the amplitude oscillates above threshold around a stable value which is identical with that determined in previous papers byHaken andSauermann neglecting laser noise. This stable value may, however, undergo shifts, if there are slow systematic changes of the cavity width, inversion etc. On the other hand the phase still fluctuates in an undamped way. After splitting off the phase factor the equations can be linearized and solved explicitly. With these solutions simple examples of correlation functions are calculated in a semiclassical way, thus yielding expressions for the line width above threshold. The results can also be used to evaluate from first principles correlation functions for different laser beams. As an example the complex degree of mutual coherence of two laser beams is determined. It vanishes if one of the lasers is still below threshold and its value is close to unity well above threshold for observation times small compared to the inverse laser linewidth.     

Information and Self-Organization II: Steady State and Phase Transition

This paper starts from Schrödinger’s famous question “what is life” and elucidates answers that invoke, in particular, Friston’s free energy principle and its relation to the method of Bayesian inference and to Synergetics 2nd foundation that utilizes Jaynes’ maximum entropy principle. Our presentation reflects the shift from the emphasis on physical principles to principles of information theory and Synergetics. In view of the expected general audience of this issue, we have chosen a somewhat tutorial style that does not require special knowledge on physics but familiarizes the reader with concepts rooted in information theory and Synergetics.     

Harmonic vibrational frequencies: scale factors for pure, hybrid, hybrid meta, and double-hybrid functionals in conjunction with correlation consistent basis sets

Scale factors for (a) low (<1000 cm(-1)) and high harmonic vibrational frequencies, (b) thermal contributions to enthalpy and entropy, and (c) zero-point vibrational energies have been determined for five hybrid functionals (B3P86, B3PW91, PBE1PBE, BH&HLYP, MPW1K), five pure functionals (BLYP, BPW91, PBEPBE, HCTH93, and BP86), four hybrid meta functionals (M05, M05-2X, M06, and M06-2X) and one double-hybrid functional (B2GP-PLYP) in combination with the correlation consistent basis sets [cc-pVnZ and aug-cc-pVnZ, n = D(2),T(3),Q(4)]. Calculations for vibrational frequencies were carried out on 41 organic molecules and an additional set of 22 small molecules was used for the zero-point vibrational energy scale factors. Before scaling, approximately 25% of the calculated frequencies were within 3% of experimental frequencies. Upon application of the derived scale factors, nearly 90% of the calculated frequencies deviated less than 3% from the experimental frequencies for all of the functionals when the augmented correlation consistent basis sets were used.     

Synchronization in networks of limit cycle oscillators

We investigate the synchronization behaviour of three different networks of nonlinearly coupled oscillators. Each network consists of several clusters of oscillators, and the clusters themselves consist of any number of oscillators. In each cluster the eigenfrequencies scatter around the cluster frequency (mean frequency). The coupling strength varies in each cluster, too. We analyze the synchronized states by means of the center manifold theorem. This enables us to calculate these states explicitly, and to prove their stability. Moreover we are able to determine frequency shifts caused by different coupling mechanisms. In a number of cases we calculate the synchronisation threshold explicitely. Numerical simulations illustrate our analytical results. In one of the three networks we have additionally analyzed a single cluster consisting of infinitely many oscillators, that is an oscillatory field. Again, the center manifold theorem enabled us to calculate the synchronized state explicitly and to prove its stability. Our results concerning the oscillatory field are in contradiction to Ermentrout's analysis [6].     

Giant polaritons and selfinduced transparency of Frenkel-excitons

We show theoretically that Frenkel excitons may show the effect of selfinduced transparency. Furtheron a formula for polariton-dispersion at high field intensities is given. Our analysis is based on Heisenberg equations of motion for the creation operators of Frenkel excitons and the quantized field and takes fully into account the nonlinearities in the system.     

Generalized Ginzburg-Landau equations for phase transition-like phenomena in lasers,nonlinear optics,hydrodynamics and chemical reactions

The recently found close analogies between the continuous mode laser, the Bénard instability, and chemical instabilities with respect to their phase transition-like behaviour are shown to have a common root. We start from equations of motion containing fluctuations. We first assume external parameters permitting only stable solutions and linearize the equations, which define a set of modes. When the external parameters are changed the modes getting unstable are taken as order parameters. Since their relaxation time tends to infinity the damped modes can be eliminated adiabatically leaving us with a set of nonlinear coupled order parameter equations resembling the time dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations with fluctuating forces. In two and three dimensions additional terms occur which allow for e.g. hexagonal spatial structures. We also treat the hard mode instability and obtain the stationary distribution function as solution of the Fokker-Planck equation. Our procedure has immediate applications to the Taylor instability, to various chemical reaction models, to the parametric oscillator in nonlinear optics and to some biological models. Furthermore, it allows us to treat analytically the onset of laser pulses, higher instabilities in the Bénard and Taylor problems and chemical oscillations including fluctuations.     

Stability and fluctuations of multi-mode configurations near the convection instability

The exact solution of a Fokker-Planck equation yields a distribution function which governs the stability and fluctuations of various mode configurations (e.g. hexagons and roles) of the Bénard convection of fluids and related problems.