Abstract

The idea of using correlated emission to reduce spontaneous-emission noise in an active interferometer¹ has recently been successfully implemented in a He–Ne Zeeman laser,² an advance of particular significance for the development of high-sensitivity probes of metric gravity.¹ Because the sensitivity of such probes is expected to increase with increasing laser power, we have begun assessing the degree to which instability imposes limitations on the operating levels of correlated-emission-laser (CEL) devices. In particular, we have found that the model of Bergou et al.³ of a homogeneously broadened, three-level CEL exhibits transitions to chaos that are very similar to the well-known Haken–Lorenz instability, and at quantitatively similar threshold powers. A CEL model more appropriate to Ref. ² is also considered.

© 1992 Optical Society of America