Coherence Cloning Using Semiconductor Laser Optical Phase-Lock Loops

We demonstrate the concept of coherence cloning where the coherence properties of a high-quality spectrally stabilized fiber laser are transferred to a commercially available high-power DFB semiconductor laser (SCL) using an optical phase-lock loop. The lineshapes and frequency noise spectra of the fiber laser and the free-running and phase-locked SCL are measured and compared. The bandwidth of coherence cloning is limited by physical factors such as the laser frequency modulation response and the loop propagation delay. The effect of this limited bandwidth on the laser field and on self-heterodyne interferometric measurements are analyzed.