A study is made of the noise in the output intensity of a high-power s
uperfluorescent fiber radiation source generating 20 mW in the 1.55 mu
m region of the spectrum. The source is constructed in an all-fiber t
echnology from a quartz fiber activated with ytterbium and erbium. It
is found that the spectral density of the noise in the frequency range
100-500 kHz is uniform and corresponds to the excess noise of ''therm
al'' sources. It is shown that the noise in the output intensity of th
e source can be compensated (decreased by an order of magnitude) in a
two-channel scheme of photodetection, where it approaches a level clos
e to the photon shot noise. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics. [S
1063-7850(97)00112-2].