Noise suppression in gain-managed nonlinear amplifiers

We investigate the evolution of relative intensity noise (RIN) in a gain-managed nonlinear amplifier (GMNA), achieving ~80 nJ, sub-40 fs pulses with 26.5 dB gain and demonstrating that GMNA exhibits reduced RIN at higher gain, reaching levels below the seed. Spectral measurements reveal a non-uniform RIN distribution across wavelengths. A pump–seed noise model supports the experimental trends and explains the noise reduction mechanisms. These results demonstrate GMNA as a powerful platform for generating low-noise, high-energy ultrafast pulses for a variety of applications.