Frequency- and intensity-noise measurements of a widely tunable 2-mu m Tm-Ho : KYF laser

The measurement of the frequency and intensity noise in a novel single-mode 2-mu m Tm-Ho:KYF laser is presented. The laser frequency noise is measured by exploiting the fringe side of the transmission of a Fabry-Perot interferometer. The measured power spectral density of the frequency noise is principally characterized by a random-walk noise contribution, which sets an emission linewidth of similar to 600 kHz for the 2-mu m radiation. The relative intensity noise (RIN) reaches the quantum limit of -155 dB/Hz for Fourier frequencies above 1 MHz and shows a maximum level of -90 dB/Hz at the relaxation-oscillation frequency of 20 kHz.