Physics of New Laser Sources

Andrew James Murray, Martyn Hussey, Michael Needham

A new atomic beam source for use in laser-based experiments is described and characterized. The physically collimated source which has been tested using calcium, produces an atomic beam with low angular divergence and narrow transverse Doppler profile, as measured using fluorescence techniques with a near resonant laser beam. The low angular divergence of the source is essential for new experiments which study super-elastic scattering of electrons from laser prepared targets within a magnetic field, since the atomic beam must pass through a narrow gap between the coil windings. The beam density for calcium is calculated to be 2.8 × 109 atoms cm-3 when the source is operated at a temperature of 1090 K. This is sufficient to produce good electron energy loss and super-elastic scattering signals, while ensuring negligible radiation trapping within the atomic beam. © 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd.

O. Svelto

Alexander Bachmann, M. v. Sivers, Christian Nölleke +5 more

We will present our latest innovations on high-power diode lasers and discuss their application in quantum technologies. We show that these laser sources are key not only to explore the magic world of quantum physics, but also to drive the commercialization of exciting new applications coming along with the second quantum revolution, such as quantum computers, -sensing, -metrology and optical clocks. Compared to other laser sources such as gas- or solid-state lasers, diode lasers offer key advantages for these applications, e.g. their compactness, low weight, low energy consumption and low cost of ownership.

Zhizhan Xu, Shengwu Xie, Shi-Yao Zhu +1 more

Philip Ball

A multiwavelength laser source known as a frequency comb provides a new technique for atom interferometry, potentially leading to new tests of fundamental physics.