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arXiv:2002.07708 · OSA Continuum

Atomic line versus lens cavity filters: a comparison of their merits

Clare R. Higgins, Danielle Pizzey, Renju S. Mathew, Ifan G. Hughes

Published Mar 27, 2020• 12 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We present a comparison between lens cavity filters and atomic line filters, discussing their relative merits for applications in quantum optics. We describe the design, characterization, and stabilization procedure of a lens cavity filter, which consists of a high-reflection coated commercially available plano-convex lens, and compare it to an ultra-narrow atomic band-pass filter utilizing the D2 absorption line in atomic rubidium vapor. We find that the cavity filter peak transmission frequency and bandwidth can be chosen arbitrarily but the transmission frequency is subject to thermal drift and the cavity needs stabilization to better than a few mK, while the atomic filter is intrinsically stable and tied to an atomic resonance frequency such that it can be used in a non-laboratory environment.

DOI
10.1364/osac.390604

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By applying a high-reflectivity dielectric coating on both sides of a commercial plano-convex lens, we produce a stable monolithic Fabry-Perot cavity suitable for use as a narrow band filter in quantum optics experiments. The resonant frequency is selected by means of thermal expansion. Owing to the long term mechanical stability, no optical locking techniques are required. We characterize the cavity performance as an optical filter, obtaining a 45dB suppression of unwanted modes while maintaining a transmission of 60%.
The nature of atomic vapors, their natural alignment with interatomic transitions, and their ease of use make them highly suited for spectrally narrow-banded optical filters. Atomic filters come in two flavors: a filter based on the absorption of light by the Doppler broadened atomic vapor, i.e. a notch filter, and a bandpass filter based on the transmission of resonant light caused by the Faraday effect. The notch filter uses the absorption of resonant photons to filter out a small spectral band around the atomic transition. The off-resonant part of the spectrum is fully transmitted. Atomic vapors based on the Faraday effect allow for suppression of the detuned spectral fraction. Transmission of light originates from the magnetically induced rotation of linear polarized light close to an atomic resonance. This filter constellation allows selective acceptance of specific light frequencies. In this manuscript, we discuss these two types of filters and elucidate the specialties of atomic line filters. We also present a practical guide on building such filter setups from scratch and discuss an approach to achieve an almost perfect atomic spectrum backed by theoretical calculations.
Abstract In free-space optical information transmission and in LIDAR systems, very narrow band filtering is often needed to eliminate broad-band solar background noise. Ideally, such filters should have a bandwidth on the order of a few hundred MHz to a few GHz. It is very difficult to produce such narrow-band filters by conventional means, but we know that atomic absorption lines have just that bandwidth. An atomic vapour cell actually is an excellent band-block filter. In order to convert it to a bandpass filter, we just have to find a way to determine whether absorption has taken place.
Abstract The nature of atomic vapors, their natural alignment with interatomic transitions, and their ease of use make them highly suited for spectrally narrow-banded optical filters. Atomic filters come in two flavors: a filter based on the absorption of light by the Doppler broadened atomic vapor, i.e. a notch filter, and a bandpass filter based on the transmission of resonant light caused by the Faraday effect. The notch filter uses the absorption of resonant photons to filter out a small spectral band around the atomic transition. The off-resonant part of the spectrum is fully transmitted. Atomic vapors based on the Faraday effect allow for suppression of the detuned spectral fraction. Transmission of light originates from the magnetically induced rotation of linear polarized light close to an atomic resonance. This filter constellation allows selective acceptance of specific light frequencies. In this manuscript, we discuss these two types of filters and elucidate the specialties of atomic line filters. We also present a practical guide on building such filter setups from scratch and discuss an approach to achieve an almost perfect atomic spectrum backed by theoretical calculations.
Atom-photon interaction promises to be a fundamental resource for applications like quantum computations. For an efficient interaction between light and atoms, the bandwidth of the light should match the natural linewidth of the atom transition to address, 6 MHz in the case of the Di line of rubidium. Cavity-enhanced down-conversion (CEDC) produces bright narrow-band quantum light with suitable linewidth but multimode in frequency. This requires the use of one or more filter cavities. This paper investigates a narrow-band filter which can be used for filtering the spectral mode of interest with a high extinction ratio for the other modes. Combined with a CEDC, this filter provides light for optimal interaction with rubidium atoms.