Amplitude or intensity noise in the output of a laser in detuned operation is reduced by application of a frequency dependent transfer function which exploits amplitude-phase coupled noise described by the linewidth enhancement parameter alpha by applying an inverse of a replica of the amplitude noise recovered from the phase noise to the laser output. The noise canceling amplitude is applied to the laser output by a filter whose frequency dependent transfer function is related to the inverse of the amplitude-phase noise transfer function of the laser producing the output. The appropriate transfer function may be selected and/or adjusted in response to the magnitude of the amplitude noise. The intensity noise may be reduced by the factor 1/(1+ alpha 2) which may squeeze the intensity noise below normal quantum limits.
