Abstract

Several experiments have been carried out to maximize optical heterodyne efficiency when the Gaussian laser beam is used as the signal field.¹ Further, it has already been shown that heterodyne efficiency is significantly improved with the use of the diffraction-free Bessel beam in the absence of noise.² However, for most of the small signal detection schemes, background radiation noise is known to limit the achievable SNR. In our present work we consider background noise effect on the maximum heterodyne efficiency when the Bessel beam is used as the signal, and we accordingly investigate the tilt and offset effect of the incoming signal.

© 1992 Optical Society of America