We present comprehensive investigations on the polarization resolved quantum noise behavior of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) with various cavity designs. These experiments are accompanied by detailed studies using a semiclassical approach, first, to calculate and model theoretically the amplitude fluctuations and correlations of a two orthogonal polarization-mode semiconductor laser as realized by a VCSEL, and second, to explore theoretically the squeezing potential of VCSELs. First, we find that the possible amount of squeezing with VCSELs should be superior as compared to edge emitting lasers for ideal single mode operation and under comparable pumping conditions. Second, we demonstrate that there exists the possibility of squeezing also in the two-mode regime besides sub-shot noise emission in the well known ideal single-mode operation regime configuring the recently published first experimental demonstration of the generation of amplitude squeezed light with VCSELs. Third, we demonstrate for the first time the generation of amplitude squeezed light by a lateral and polarization single mode VCSEL with the achievement of a maximum squeezing of 0.9 dB. Finally the future trends, the applications and the limitations of these non-classical states of light with respect to metrology applications are discussed.
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