Table of Contents
The challenge of coherence in fiber lasers
According to a team of researchers from Australia, the coherence of laser systems can be significantly improved by overcoming limitations that have been considered to be fundamental for 60 years. Fiber lasers produce highly directional, monochromatic, coherent laser beam light.
Importance of coherence
The light is produced by the laser system as a narrow laser beam in a specific direction. The wavelength and phase of every photon are equal. The coherence of a laser beam, in turn, is regarded as “the number of photons that can be emitted in this manner, which is a property crucial in determining the performance of a fiber laser in precision tasks like quantum computing.”
Historical quantum limits
A quantum limit of laser beam coherence is not a new phenomenon, and it was discovered in the 1960s. There is a theory that the coherence of the fiber laser system is less than the square of the number of photons. The researchers suggest a way to apply laser beam energy to the system and how it is released to create the beam.
Role of quantum mechanics
Even though these suggestions are suitable for most standard laser systems, they are not obligatory when it comes to quantum mechanics. The ability of researchers to develop and control quantum systems has transformed the conception of what is practical. Numerous studies allow for a better understanding of quantum processes occurring in fiber lasers.
Novel approach to overcome coherence limits
The team of researchers from Australia has applied numerical simulations to show that it is possible to overcome the limitations of fiber laser systems. The fiber laser technology has already been tested and demonstrated that the laser beam coherence is less than the fourth power of the number of photons.
Higher photon storage and quantum models
When the stored number of photons in the fiber laser is large, as is generally the case, the upper limit is much higher than before. Also, the researchers have developed a quantum mechanical model for a fiber laser system that could reach this upper limit for coherence in theory.
Future applications of quantum-limited fiber lasers
Much time is required to create a super laser system. However, this fiber laser technology proves that the production of a quantum-limited fiber laser is possible by employing the superconducting technique. This kind of technology is also applied in the modern best quantum computers.
The developed fiber laser may have applications in that field. Thus, new fiber laser systems allow for expanding new applications and promoting new research into more energy-efficient laser systems.