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Optics Letters

Programmable laser frequency stabilization at 1523 nm by use of persistent spectral hole burning

Thomas Böttger, Geoff J. Pryde, R. L. Cone

Published Feb 1, 2003• 24 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Diode laser frequency stability of 2 kHz to 680 Hz over 20 ms to 500 s has been demonstrated at 1523 nm in the technologically important communication band by use of persistent spectral holes in the inhomogeneously broadened 4I15/2 --> 4I13/2 optical absorption of Er3+:D-:CaF2. Laser frequency stabilization was realized without vibrational or acoustical isolation of either the laser or spectral hole frequency reference, providing the means for implementing a versatile, compact, stable source.

DOI
10.1364/ol.28.000200

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Laser frequency stabilization giving a 500-Hz Allan deviation for a 2-ms integration time with drift reduced to 7 kHz/min over several minutes was achieved at 1536 nm in the optical communication band. A continuously regenerated spectral hole in the inhomogeneously broadened ${}^{4}{I}_{15/2}{(1)}^{4}{I}_{13/2}(1)$ optical absorption of an ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}:{\mathrm{Y}}_{2}{\mathrm{SiO}}_{5}$ crystal was used as the short-term frequency reference, while a variation on the locking technique allowed simultaneous use of the inhomogeneously broadened absorption line as a long-term reference. The reported frequency stability was achieved without vibration isolation. Spectral hole burning frequency stabilization provides ideal laser sources for high-resolution spectroscopy, real-time optical signal processing, and a range of applications requiring ultra-narrow-band light sources or coherent detection; the time scale for stability and the compatibility with spectral hole burning devices make this technique complementary to other frequency references for laser stabilization.

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LASER FREQUENCY STABILIZATION TO SPECTRAL HOLE BURNING FREQUENCY REFERENCES IN ERBIUM-DOPED CRYSTALS: MATERIAL AND DEVICE OPTIMIZATION

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Narrow spectral holes in the absorption lines of Er doped crystals have been explored as references for frequency stabilizing external cavity diode lasers at the important 1.5 μm optical communication wavelength. Allan deviations of the beat signal between two independent stabilized lasers as low as 200 Hz over 10 ms integration time have been achieved using regenerative spectral holes in Er:Y2SiO5 and Er:KTP, while drift was reduced to ~ 7 kHz/min by incorporating the inhomogeneous absorption line as a fixed reference. During active stabilization, the transient spectral hole was continuously regenerated as hole burning balanced relaxation. In contrast, persistent spectral holes in Er:D:CaF2, with lifetimes of several weeks, provided programmable and transportable secondary frequency references that maintained sub-kilohertz stability over several seconds and enabled 6 kHz stability over 3 1.6 10 s × . The error signal was derived from the spectral hole transmission using frequency modulation spectroscopy. A servo amplifier applied fast frequency corrections to the injection current of the laser diode and slower adjustments to the piezo-driven feedback prism plate. These stabilized lasers provide ideal sources for spectral hole burning applications based on optical coherent transients, where laser stability is required over the storage time of the material. Since the lifetime of the frequency reference is exactly the material storage time, this requirement is automatically met by using our technique. This was demonstrated in Er:Y2SiO5 and successfully transferred to high-bandwidth signal processing applications. The material Er:Y2SiO5 was optimized for these applications. The I15/2 and I13/2 crystal field levels were site-selectively determined by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The excited state lifetime was measured to be 11.4 ms for site 1 and 9.2 ms for site 2. Zeeman experiments and two-pulse photon echo spectroscopy as a function of magnetic field orientation were used to determine the anisotropic electronic g-values for both Er sites and established a preferred magnetic field orientation for minimizing homogeneous line broadening by spectral diffusion. The spectral diffusion was characterized by stimulated photon echo spectroscopy and successfully described with established theories. In a 0.02 atomic percent Er:Y2SiO5 crystal at B = 0.8 T and T = 1.6 K, line broadening became significant after 10 μs, increasing the homogeneous linewidth from 7.5 kHz to 75 kHz after 120 μs. Spectral diffusion, primarily caused by direct phonon driven Er spin-flips in the ground state, can be controlled to negligible levels with proper magnetic field strength and orientation, temperature, and erbium concentration. In optimizing Er:Y2SiO5, the narrowest optical resonance in any solid-state material of 73 Hz was measured.

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Laser frequency stabilization using regenerative spectral hole burning

Nick Strickland, Peter B. Sellin, Yazhou Sun +2 more

We demonstrate laser frequency stabilization using a continuously regenerated transient spectral hole in an inhomogeneously broadened resonance of a solid. Regenerative transient holes provide extreme stabilization for time scales appropriate for spectroscopy, signal processing, ranging, and interferometry. Stabilization to 20 Hz on a 10-ms time scale using spectral holes at 793 nm in ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}{:\mathrm{Y}}_{3}{\mathrm{Al}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ gives substantial improvement in the reliability of stimulated photon echoes in the same material and enables the observation of a third population storage mechanism for hole burning in ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}{:\mathrm{Y}}_{3}{\mathrm{Al}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}.$

Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Jul 15, 2000•72 citations
Diode laser frequency stability of 2 kHz to 680 Hz over 20 ms to 500 s has been demonstrated at 1523 nm in the technologically important communication band by use of persistent spectral holes in the inhomogeneously broadened 4I15/2 --> 4I13/2 optical absorption of Er3+:D-:CaF2. Laser frequency stabilization was realized without vibrational or acoustical isolation of either the laser or spectral hole frequency reference, providing the means for implementing a versatile, compact, stable source.
Laser frequency stabilization giving a 500-Hz Allan deviation for a 2-ms integration time with drift reduced to 7 kHz/min over several minutes was achieved at 1536 nm in the optical communication band. A continuously regenerated spectral hole in the inhomogeneously broadened 4I15/2(1)4I13/2(1){}^{4}{I}_{15/2}{(1)}^{4}{I}_{13/2}(1)4I15/2​(1)4I13/2​(1) optical absorption of an Er3+:Y2SiO5{\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}:{\mathrm{Y}}_{2}{\mathrm{SiO}}_{5}Er3+:Y2​SiO5​ crystal was used as the short-term frequency reference, while a variation on the locking technique allowed simultaneous use of the inhomogeneously broadened absorption line as a long-term reference. The reported frequency stability was achieved without vibration isolation. Spectral hole burning frequency stabilization provides ideal laser sources for high-resolution spectroscopy, real-time optical signal processing, and a range of applications requiring ultra-narrow-band light sources or coherent detection; the time scale for stability and the compatibility with spectral hole burning devices make this technique complementary to other frequency references for laser stabilization.
Summary form only given. The first known demonstration of laser frequency stabilization using a solid-state persistent spectral hole burning material as the frequency reference is reported. Unlike gas phase transitions or Fabry-Perot resonances, spectral holes for frequency references can be prepared at any frequency within a broad inhomogeneous absorption profile (15 GHz in the material demonstrated here). Several lasers may be stabilized to multiple spectral holes, either in the same or separate absorption bands, with arbitrary frequency separations.
Summary form only given. Laser frequency stabilization to 200 Hz on a 5 ms time scale and to 1 kHz over 30 minutes has been demonstrated using persistent and transient spectral holes in inhomogeneously broadened resonances of Er/sup 3+/,D/sup -/:CaF/sub 2/, Er/sup 3+/:Y/sub 2/SiO/sub 5/, and Er/sup 3+/:KTiOPO/sub 4/ at cryogenic temperatures. Persistent spectral holes with lifetimes of weeks or longer provide a programmable and transportable secondary frequency reference, and kilohertz wide transient spectral holes provide excellent references at millisecond time scales appropriate for spectroscopy and coherent transient signal processing devices. This locking technique has significant applications to devices beyond the field of spectral hole burning.
Narrow spectral holes in the absorption lines of Er doped crystals have been explored as references for frequency stabilizing external cavity diode lasers at the important 1.5 μm optical communication wavelength. Allan deviations of the beat signal between two independent stabilized lasers as low as 200 Hz over 10 ms integration time have been achieved using regenerative spectral holes in Er:Y2SiO5 and Er:KTP, while drift was reduced to ~ 7 kHz/min by incorporating the inhomogeneous absorption line as a fixed reference. During active stabilization, the transient spectral hole was continuously regenerated as hole burning balanced relaxation. In contrast, persistent spectral holes in Er:D:CaF2, with lifetimes of several weeks, provided programmable and transportable secondary frequency references that maintained sub-kilohertz stability over several seconds and enabled 6 kHz stability over 3 1.6 10 s × . The error signal was derived from the spectral hole transmission using frequency modulation spectroscopy. A servo amplifier applied fast frequency corrections to the injection current of the laser diode and slower adjustments to the piezo-driven feedback prism plate. These stabilized lasers provide ideal sources for spectral hole burning applications based on optical coherent transients, where laser stability is required over the storage time of the material. Since the lifetime of the frequency reference is exactly the material storage time, this requirement is automatically met by using our technique. This was demonstrated in Er:Y2SiO5 and successfully transferred to high-bandwidth signal processing applications. The material Er:Y2SiO5 was optimized for these applications. The I15/2 and I13/2 crystal field levels were site-selectively determined by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The excited state lifetime was measured to be 11.4 ms for site 1 and 9.2 ms for site 2. Zeeman experiments and two-pulse photon echo spectroscopy as a function of magnetic field orientation were used to determine the anisotropic electronic g-values for both Er sites and established a preferred magnetic field orientation for minimizing homogeneous line broadening by spectral diffusion. The spectral diffusion was characterized by stimulated photon echo spectroscopy and successfully described with established theories. In a 0.02 atomic percent Er:Y2SiO5 crystal at B = 0.8 T and T = 1.6 K, line broadening became significant after 10 μs, increasing the homogeneous linewidth from 7.5 kHz to 75 kHz after 120 μs. Spectral diffusion, primarily caused by direct phonon driven Er spin-flips in the ground state, can be controlled to negligible levels with proper magnetic field strength and orientation, temperature, and erbium concentration. In optimizing Er:Y2SiO5, the narrowest optical resonance in any solid-state material of 73 Hz was measured.
We report what is believed to be the first demonstration of laser frequency stabilization directly to persistent spectral holes in a solid-state material. The frequency reference material was deuterated CaF(2): Tm(3+) prepared with 25-MHz-wide persistent spectral holes on the H(6)(3)?H(4)(3) transition at 798 nm. The beat frequency between two lasers that were independently locked to persistent spectral holes in separate crystal samples showed typical root Allan variances of 780+/-120Hz for 20-50-ms integration times.
We demonstrate laser frequency stabilization using a continuously regenerated transient spectral hole in an inhomogeneously broadened resonance of a solid. Regenerative transient holes provide extreme stabilization for time scales appropriate for spectroscopy, signal processing, ranging, and interferometry. Stabilization to 20 Hz on a 10-ms time scale using spectral holes at 793 nm in Tm3+:Y3Al5O12{\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}{:\mathrm{Y}}_{3}{\mathrm{Al}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}Tm3+:Y3​Al5​O12​ gives substantial improvement in the reliability of stimulated photon echoes in the same material and enables the observation of a third population storage mechanism for hole burning in Tm3+:Y3Al5O12.{\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}{:\mathrm{Y}}_{3}{\mathrm{Al}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}.Tm3+:Y3​Al5​O12​.