Aspects are generally directed to receivers and methods for actively demodulating optical signals. In one example, a receiver includes an optical resonator to receive an optical signal, the optical resonator including an active optical medium interposed between first and second semi-reflective surfaces, where the active optical medium is configured to accumulate resonant optical signal energy inside the optical resonator based on the received optical signal, the second semi-reflective surface is positioned to emit output optical signal energy, and the optical resonator is configured to disturb the output optical signal energy in response to a variation in the received optical signal. The receiver may further include a detector configured to detect the disturbance in the output optical signal energy, and a pump source coupled to the active optical medium to excite the active optical medium to generate an optical gain in the received optical signal.