Abstract

It is common practice to report measurements of weak optical signals in terms of the relative-intensity noise, which is essentially the ratio of the fluctuations to the average power. Typical experiments in which weak optical signals are measured include light scattering, squeezed-state generation, and characterization of the optical noise on a laser beam. Although these measurements would be more meaningful if made in absolute units, e.g., mks or cgs, it is difficult to appropriately calibrate optical detection systems for such units.

© 1990 Optical Society of America