We examine the quantum correlations at steady state in a three-mode quantum-beat laser that operates well above threshold. The analysis is presented by employing the dressed-atom combination-mode picture, in which only one combination mode of three cavity fields is coupled to the active medium, while the other two combination modes are decoupled. For suitable operating conditions, the coupled mode has the intensity fluctuations below the shot noise, while the two decoupled modes retain in their vacuum states. This determines that all of the original modes exhibit sub-Poissonian statistics. When the system operates well above threshold, the van Loock-Furusawa inequality is satisfied, concluding that the genuine tripartite entanglement among three sub-Poissonian fields is established. Physically, the responsible mechanism is the combined effect of atomic coherence controlled correlated-spontaneous emission and intrinsic feedback.

• Received 12 January 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.80.023815