Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1608.07603 · Applied Optics

Optical cavity for enhanced parametric four-wave mixing in rubidium

E. Brekke, S. Potier

Published Dec 20, 2016• 21 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We have incorporated a ring cavity to enhance the efficiency of parametric four-wave mixing in rubidium (Rb). Using an input coupler with 95% reflectance, a finesse of 19.6±0.5 is achieved with an Rb cell inside. This increases the circulating intensity by a factor of 5.6±0.5, and through two-photon excitation on the 5s1/2→5d5/2 transition with a single excitation laser, up to 1.9±0.3 mW of power at 420 nm is generated, 50 times what was previously generated with this scheme and comparable to low-power two-step excitation. The dependence of the output on the Rb density and input power has been explored, suggesting the process may be approaching saturation. The blue output of the cavity also shows greatly improved spatial quality, combining to make this a promising source of 420 nm light for future experiments.

DOI
10.1364/ao.56.000046

Related papers

Coherent 420 nm light generated by the cavity-enhanced four-wave mixing process in Rb vapor

Jinpeng Yuan, Hao Liu, Lirong Wang +2 more

We have generated a stable and continuously tunable single frequency (420 nm) coherent blue light (CBL) by the cavity-enhanced four-wave mixing process in Rb vapor. With the bow-tie-type ring cavity, the output power was 3.3 mW, two orders of magnitude higher than that of the CBL generated by the single-pass four-wave mixing process. The measured power stabilities of the 420 nm CBL operated at 2.5 mW and 1.5 mW for 1000 s were 2.89% and 1.88%, respectively. Under the scanning pump laser frequency, the continuously tunable range of the generated CBL reached 1.68 GHz without mode hopping. The measured beam qualities of the generated laser were M x 2 = 1.117 and M y 2 = 1.179 . The excellent performance of the 420 nm CBL was characterized by velocity transfer spectroscopy with 780 nm probe laser. This high quality short wavelength coherent light is potentially applicable to photon-atom interactions in quantum optics and fundamental research fields.

Optics Express•Jan 26, 2021•20 citations

Parametric four-wave mixing using a single cw laser

Erik Brekke, Laura Alderson

Four-wave mixing can be used to generate coherent output beams, with frequencies difficult to acquire in commercial lasers. Here, a single narrow external cavity diode laser locked to the two photon 5s-5d transition in rubidium is combined with a tapered amplifier system to produce a high power cw beam at 778 nm and used to generate coherent light at 420 nm through parametric four-wave mixing. This process is analyzed in terms of the intensity and frequency of the incoming beam as well as the atomic density of the sample. The efficiency of the process is currently limited when on resonance due to the absorption of the 420 nm beam, and modifications should allow a significant increase in output power.

arXiv:1303.7174•Optics Letters•Jun 12, 2013•39 citations

Saturation and alternate pathways in four-wave mixing in rubidium

Erik Brekke, Noah Swan

We have examined the frequency spectrum of the blue light generated via four-wave mixing in a rubidium vapor cell inside a ring cavity. At high atomic density and input laser power, two distinct frequency components separated by 116±4 MHz are observed, indicating alternate four-wave mixing channels through the 6p3/2 hyperfine states. The dependence of the generated light on excitation intensity and atomic density are explored, and they indicate that the primary process has saturated. This saturation results when the excitation rate through the 6p state becomes equal to the rate through the 5p state, giving no further gain with atomic density while a quadratic intensity dependence remains.

arXiv:1812.04465•Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Jan 23, 2019•7 citations

Cavity-enhanced frequency up-conversion in rubidium vapor

Rachel F. Offer, Johnathan W. C. Conway, Erling Riis +2 more

We report the first use of a ring cavity to both enhance the output power and dramatically narrow the linewidth (<1 MHz) of blue light generated by four-wave mixing in a rubidium vapor cell. We find that the high output power available in our cavity-free system leads to power broadening of the generated blue light linewidth. Our ring cavity removes this limitation, allowing high output power and narrow linewidth to be achieved concurrently. As the cavity blue light is widely tunable over the Rb855S1/2F=3→6P3/2 transition, this narrow linewidth light would be suitable for near-resonant rubidium studies including, for example, second-stage laser cooling.

arXiv:1603.05703•Optics Letters•May 2, 2016•39 citations

Four-wave mixing in a ring cavity

Eugeniy E. Mikhailov, Jesse Evans, Dmitry Budker +2 more

We investigate a four-wave-mixing process in an N interaction scheme in Rb vapor placed inside a low-finesse ring cavity. We observe strong amplification and generation of a probe signal, circulating in the cavity, in the presence of two strong optical pump fields. We study the variations in probe field gain and dispersion as functions of experimental parameters with an eye on the potential application of such a system for enhanced rotation measurements. Density-matrix calculations are performed to model the system and are shown to provide good qualitative agreement with the experiment.

arXiv:1404.4650•Optical Engineering•Aug 8, 2014•13 citations

Four-wave mixing in a ring cavity

Eugeniy E. Mikhailov, Jesse W. Evans, Dmitry Budker +5 more

Abstract. We investigate a four-wave-mixing process in an N interaction scheme in Rb vapor placed inside a low-finesse ring cavity. We observe strong amplification and generation of a probe signal, circulating in the cav-ity, in the presence of two strong optical pump fields. We study the variations in probe field gain and dispersion as functions of experimental parameters with an eye on the potential application of such a system for enhanced rotation measurements. Density-matrix calculations are performed to model the system and are shown to pro-vide good qualitative agreement with the experiment. © 2014 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) [DOI: 10.1117/1.OE.53.10.102709]

•Jan 16, 2016•13 citations
We have incorporated a ring cavity to enhance the efficiency of parametric four-wave mixing in rubidium (Rb). Using an input coupler with 95% reflectance, a finesse of 19.6±0.5 is achieved with an Rb cell inside. This increases the circulating intensity by a factor of 5.6±0.5, and through two-photon excitation on the 5s1/2→5d5/2 transition with a single excitation laser, up to 1.9±0.3 mW of power at 420 nm is generated, 50 times what was previously generated with this scheme and comparable to low-power two-step excitation. The dependence of the output on the Rb density and input power has been explored, suggesting the process may be approaching saturation. The blue output of the cavity also shows greatly improved spatial quality, combining to make this a promising source of 420 nm light for future experiments.
We have generated a stable and continuously tunable single frequency (420 nm) coherent blue light (CBL) by the cavity-enhanced four-wave mixing process in Rb vapor. With the bow-tie-type ring cavity, the output power was 3.3 mW, two orders of magnitude higher than that of the CBL generated by the single-pass four-wave mixing process. The measured power stabilities of the 420 nm CBL operated at 2.5 mW and 1.5 mW for 1000 s were 2.89% and 1.88%, respectively. Under the scanning pump laser frequency, the continuously tunable range of the generated CBL reached 1.68 GHz without mode hopping. The measured beam qualities of the generated laser were M x 2 = 1.117 and M y 2 = 1.179 . The excellent performance of the 420 nm CBL was characterized by velocity transfer spectroscopy with 780 nm probe laser. This high quality short wavelength coherent light is potentially applicable to photon-atom interactions in quantum optics and fundamental research fields.
Four-wave mixing can be used to generate coherent output beams, with frequencies difficult to acquire in commercial lasers. Here, a single narrow external cavity diode laser locked to the two photon 5s-5d transition in rubidium is combined with a tapered amplifier system to produce a high power cw beam at 778 nm and used to generate coherent light at 420 nm through parametric four-wave mixing. This process is analyzed in terms of the intensity and frequency of the incoming beam as well as the atomic density of the sample. The efficiency of the process is currently limited when on resonance due to the absorption of the 420 nm beam, and modifications should allow a significant increase in output power.
We have examined the frequency spectrum of the blue light generated via four-wave mixing in a rubidium vapor cell inside a ring cavity. At high atomic density and input laser power, two distinct frequency components separated by 116±4 MHz are observed, indicating alternate four-wave mixing channels through the 6p3/2 hyperfine states. The dependence of the generated light on excitation intensity and atomic density are explored, and they indicate that the primary process has saturated. This saturation results when the excitation rate through the 6p state becomes equal to the rate through the 5p state, giving no further gain with atomic density while a quadratic intensity dependence remains.
We report the first use of a ring cavity to both enhance the output power and dramatically narrow the linewidth (<1 MHz) of blue light generated by four-wave mixing in a rubidium vapor cell. We find that the high output power available in our cavity-free system leads to power broadening of the generated blue light linewidth. Our ring cavity removes this limitation, allowing high output power and narrow linewidth to be achieved concurrently. As the cavity blue light is widely tunable over the Rb855S1/2F=3→6P3/2 transition, this narrow linewidth light would be suitable for near-resonant rubidium studies including, for example, second-stage laser cooling.
We investigate a four-wave-mixing process in an N interaction scheme in Rb vapor placed inside a low-finesse ring cavity. We observe strong amplification and generation of a probe signal, circulating in the cavity, in the presence of two strong optical pump fields. We study the variations in probe field gain and dispersion as functions of experimental parameters with an eye on the potential application of such a system for enhanced rotation measurements. Density-matrix calculations are performed to model the system and are shown to provide good qualitative agreement with the experiment.
Abstract. We investigate a four-wave-mixing process in an N interaction scheme in Rb vapor placed inside a low-finesse ring cavity. We observe strong amplification and generation of a probe signal, circulating in the cav-ity, in the presence of two strong optical pump fields. We study the variations in probe field gain and dispersion as functions of experimental parameters with an eye on the potential application of such a system for enhanced rotation measurements. Density-matrix calculations are performed to model the system and are shown to pro-vide good qualitative agreement with the experiment. © 2014 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) [DOI: 10.1117/1.OE.53.10.102709]