Abstract

We study a nonlinear semiclassical and fully quantum-mechanical theory of a laser with an active medium of three-level atoms that may be initially prepared in a coherent superposition and interact with a classical external electromagnetic field. In particular, we determine the intracavity and output photon statistics of the laser light in a broad range of parameters. We find an inner sub-Poissonian statistics with a Mandel parameter close to the minimal value -1 when the laser is operating with initially prepared atoms, off resonant, and without inversion of the populations. In another regime, with, however, less favorable intracavity statistics, we find squeezing in the intensity output fluctuations of 80%, which is well above the present state of art noise reduction for this kind of coherently driven laser system.