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arXiv:2201.13431 · Optics Express

Compact plug and play optical frequency reference device based on Doppler-free spectroscopy of rubidium vapor

Aaron Strangfeld, Benjamin Wiegand, Julien Kluge, Matthias Schoch, Markus Krutzik

Published Mar 21, 2022• 20 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Compactness, robustness and autonomy of optical frequency references are prerequisites for reliable operation in mobile systems, on ground as well as in space. We present a standalone plug and play optical frequency reference device based on frequency modulation spectroscopy of the D2-transition in rubidium at 780 nm. After a single button press the hand-sized laser module, based on the micro-integrated laser-optical bench described in [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 38 , 1885 ( 2021 ) 10.1364/JOSAB.420875 ], works fully autonomous and generates 6 mW of frequency stabilized light with a relative frequency instability of 1.4×10−12 at 1 s and below 10−11 at 105 s averaging time. We describe the design of the device, investigate the thermal characteristics affecting the output frequency and demonstrate short-term frequency stability improvement by a Bayesian optimizer varying the modulation parameters.

DOI
10.1364/oe.453942

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Compactness, robustness and autonomy of optical frequency references are prerequisites for reliable operation in mobile systems, on ground as well as in space. We present a standalone plug and play optical frequency reference device based on frequency modulation spectroscopy of the D2-transition in rubidium at 780 nm. After a single button press the hand-sized laser module, based on the micro-integrated laser-optical bench described in [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 38 , 1885 ( 2021 ) 10.1364/JOSAB.420875 ], works fully autonomous and generates 6 mW of frequency stabilized light with a relative frequency instability of 1.4×10−12 at 1 s and below 10−11 at 105 s averaging time. We describe the design of the device, investigate the thermal characteristics affecting the output frequency and demonstrate short-term frequency stability improvement by a Bayesian optimizer varying the modulation parameters.
Optical frequency standards, or lasers stabilized to atomic or molecular transitions, are widely used in length metrology and laser ranging, provide a backbone for optical communications and lie at the heart of next-generation optical atomic clocks. Here we demonstrate a compact, low-power optical frequency reference based on the Doppler-free, two-photon transition in rubidium-87 at 778 nm implemented on a micro-optics breadboard. Our optical reference achieves a fractional frequency instability of 2.9×10−12/ τ for averaging times τ less than 103 s, has a volume of ≈35 cm3 and operates on ≈450 mW of electrical power. The advanced optical integration presented here demonstrates a key step towards the development of compact optical clocks and the broad dissemination of SI-traceable wavelength references.
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We demonstrated a compact 780 nm rubidium optical clock, which includes an optical frequency standard and an optical frequency comb, with an optical volume of 11.6 liters. Unlike the 778 nm rubidium atomic clocks based on two-photon transition, here, the laser frequency is stabilized to the Rb D2 transition, using modulation transfer spectroscopy. This approach effectively eliminates Doppler background and provides a high signal to noise ratio and high sensitivity. A nearly 300 MHz microwave signal, whose phase exactly tracks that of the optical frequency standard, is generated via the optical frequency comb, yielding a frequency instability of 1.91 E-13 @1 s and 5.29 E-14 @1000 s in the electronic domain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most precise frequency stabilization result for the first-excited-state transition of alkali metal atoms to date and represents the first optical clock based on this transition. These results offer a promising approach for the development of portable optical clocks.
We present a technique for simultaneous laser frequency stabilization on transitions of multiple atomic species with a single optical setup. The method is based on modulation transfer spectroscopy, and the signals are separated by modulating at different frequencies and electronically filtered. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate simultaneous spectroscopy of the potassium D1, D2 and rubidium D2 transitions. The technique can be extended in principle to other atomic species given the availability of optics and cells and allows the development of versatile and compact frequency reference modules.
We present a compact optical frequency standard based on two-photon spectroscopy at 778 nm in a rubidium vapor cell. We demonstrate fractional instability of 3e-13/, √τ/s for timescales up to 10,000 s. Additionally, we describe a secondary system operation in which the short-term stability is improved (though at the expense of the long-term stability) using increased laser power, resulting in 1 s instability <; 1e-13. The system has been designed as an advanced atomic frequency standard for GNSS applications, and is currently being investigated for demonstration on AFRL's Navigation Technology Satellite 3 (NTS-3), an upcoming space flight experiment to middle earth orbit scheduled for launch in 2022.
We report on our latest progress on the ongoing development of a compact optical frequency reference for CubeSat missions in LEO. This reference will be based on Doppler free laser spectroscopy of rubidium vapor. Our simplified solution is based on frequency modulation spectroscopy using a customized, shielded 5 mm long vapor cell and a monolithic distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode on a mesoscopic breadboard setup. The electro-optical system features miniaturized optics as well as a polarization maintaining fiber coupling inside a housing with dimensions of 70 mm × 26 mm × 19 mm (38 cm³). The latter will be installed on a 90 mm × 80mm electronics board for full functionality of the system. This way, our reference constitutes a key technology for future compact, simple and robust atomic quantum technologies for nanosatellite applications.