Design, fabrication and characterization of tunable external cavity diode laser and atom trapping chips for atomic physics

P. Srinivasan, Carsten Gollasch, Michael D. Kraft

Hong‐Bo Sun, Hironobu Inouye, Yasushi Inouye +2 more

Jianing Han, Lindsay C. Hutcherson, Deshmukh, Gayatri +5 more

In this article, we report on a magneto-optical trap (MOT) created by the 2nd-order external cavity diode lasers (ECDLs). The lasers were characterized. We have observed the non-continuous changes of the wavelength as a function of the laser diode current. This study is beneficial for achieving tunable atom-atom interactions, quantum tunneling, precision measurement, ultracold plasma, as well as quantum computing.

Daniel W. C. Brooks, Tom Purdy, Dan Stamper-Kurn

Sarah Nagel

The diode laser system for laser cooling on the 1S 0 → 3P1 intercombination line of strontium discussed in this thesis allows us to cool and trap an atomic strontium sample to 15 muK. Samples in this temperature range are useful for the development of the next generation of atomic frequency standards, cold collision studies, and as a step towards quantum degeneracy. This laser system consists of a Littrow configuration external-cavity diode laser, which is frequency locked to a high finesse cavity. The cavity is subsequently locked to an absorption feature to produce a few mW of tunable, stabilized, single mode power at the target wavelength. We present the design and characterization of this system, including a linewidth measurement of 70 kHz, as well as preliminary results from cooling and trapping.

G. N. Botha

In the presented study a diode laser was characterised and used for spec- troscopy, measuring the resonance lines of atomic rubidium. The characteristics of diode lasers and external cavity diode lasers (ECDL) for the purposes of ab- sorption spectroscopy were investigated and an experimental setup for tunable diode laser spectroscopy using an ECDL was developed. In external cavity diode lasers, the advantages of low cost, small size and e ciency of a diode laser is combined with tunability and a narrow frequency bandwidth. The ECDL was applied in experimental setups for absorption spectroscopy and saturated ab- sorption spectroscopy. Measurement of the absorption of atomic rubidium's D2 line near 780 nm is discussed. The Doppler broadened, as well as the Doppler free spectrum of the ne and hyper ne structure of the D2 line were measured and is discussed. Finer control of the ECDL's stability and frequency, using a servo circuit, were investigated and tested. An overview is given of laser cool- ing and trapping of neutral rubidium atoms, which is the main application the ECDL were developed for.