Imaging through a low-light-level Raman amplifier
Michael D. Duncan, Rita Mahon, Lawrence L. Tankersley, John F. Reintjes · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 1991
The noise characteristics and the low-light-level imaging capabilities of a stimulated Raman amplifier have been investigated. Stokes beams carrying spatial structure have been amplified using a collimated pump with a Fresnel number of 17. Both direct imaging of the Stokes signal and Fourier transform imaging of the Stokes signal through the Raman amplifier were used. Evidence of interference between the quantum noise field and the seed-Stokes field is present at the lowest seeding levels.