Statistical properties of single-mode and two-mode ring lasers

Recent theoretical and experimental investigations of the statistical properties of single-mode and two-mode ring lasers are described. A theory of the frequency dependence of laser light fluctuations in a single-mode laser and the photoelectric experiments testing the predictions of this theory are discussed. For the case of two-mode ring lasers, a theoretical discussion of the steady-state and transient properties, such as photon statistics, first-passage-time distributions, correlations and phase locking, is given. Theoretical predictions are compared with the results of photoelectric measurements carried out on two-mode gas and dye ring lasers. A summary and the principal conclusions of this article are presented, and suggestions for further investigations are made.