Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Journal of Applied Physics

Laser frequency stabilization using bichromatic crossover spectroscopy

Taek Jeong, Han Seb Moon

Published Mar 3, 2015• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We propose a Doppler-free spectroscopic method named bichromatic crossover spectroscopy (BCS), which we then use for the frequency stabilization of an off-resonant frequency that does not correspond to an atomic transition. The observed BCS in the 5S1/2 → 5P1/2 transition of 87Rb is related to the hyperfine structure of the conventional saturated absorption spectrum of this transition. Furthermore, the Doppler-free BCS is numerically calculated by considering all of the degenerate magnetic sublevels of the 5S1/2 → 5P1/2 transition in an atomic vapor cell, and is found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Finally, we successfully achieve modulation-free off-resonant locking at the center frequency between the two 5S1/2(F = 1 and 2) → 5P1/2(F′ = 1) transitions using a polarization rotation of the BCS. The laser frequency stability was estimated to be the Allan variance of 2.1 × 10−10 at 1 s.

DOI
10.1063/1.4913880

Related papers

Laser frequency stabilization by bichromatic saturation absorption spectroscopy

Genko T. Genov, Tim Lellinger, Thomas Halfmann +1 more

We present and analyze a bichromatic version of the well-known saturation absorption spectroscopy technique used to stabilize lasers to atomic resonances without Doppler broadening. We show that the spectroscopic properties can be transferred between two transitions at very different wavelengths by spectral hole burning in a Doppler-broadened atomic ensemble. Specifically, we demonstrate that this technique can be used to stabilize a laser to the D1 line of Rb87 by obtaining a saturation absorption spectrum with a strong pump laser stabilized to the D2 line. This allows for more freedom in the choice of the probe laser frequency offsets compared to conventional saturation absorption spectroscopy. We compare our experimental results to an analytical model and numerical results based on rate equations.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Aug 31, 2017•17 citations

Improving 795 nm Single-Frequency Laser’s Frequency Stability by Means of the Bright-State Spectroscopy with Rubidium Vapor Cell

Junye Zhao, Yongbiao Yang, Lulu Zhang +2 more

The utilization of atomic or molecular spectroscopy for frequency locking of single-frequency laser to improve laser frequency stability plays an important role in the experimental investigation of optically pumped atomic magnetometers, atomic clocks, laser cooling and trapping of atoms, etc. We have experimentally demonstrated a technique for frequency stabilization of a single-frequency laser employing the bright state spectroscopy (BSS) with a rubidium atomic vapor cell. By utilizing the counter-propagating dual-frequency 795 nm laser beams with mutually orthogonal linear polarization and a frequency difference of 6.834 GHz, which is equal to the hyperfine splitting of rubidium-87 ground state 5S1/2, an absorption-enhanced signal with narrow linewidth at the center of Doppler-broadened transmission spectroscopy is observed when continuous scanning the laser frequency over rubidium-87 D1 transition. This is the so-called BSS. Amplitude of the absorption-enhanced signal in the BSS is much larger compared with the conventional saturation absorption spectroscopy (SAS). The relationship between linewidth and amplitude of the BSS signal and laser beam intensity has been investigated. This high-contrast absorption-enhanced BSS signal has been employed for the laser frequency stabilization. The experimental results show that the frequency stability is 4.4×10−11 with an integration time of 40 s, near one order of magnitude better than that for using the SAS.

Photonics•Dec 11, 2024•4 citations

Dual-frequency Doppler-free spectroscopy for simultaneous laser stabilization in compact atomic physics experiments

Nathan Cooper, Somaya Madkhaly, David H. Johnson +3 more

Vapor-cell spectroscopy is an essential technique in many fields and is particularly relevant for quantum technologies. Most atom- and ion-trapping experiments rely on simultaneous spectroscopy of two atomic transitions, employing a separate apparatus for each transition. We demonstrate simultaneous spectroscopy on two atomic transitions, within a single apparatus, using spatially overlapped beams from two independent lasers. This method enables compact setups and offers superior spectroscopic performance, leading to sharper spectroscopy peaks, stronger absorption signals, and superior laser stability. Doppler-free locking features become accessible over a frequency range several hundred megahertz wider than for standard saturated absorption spectroscopy. Exploring the full parameter space associated with dual-frequency spectroscopy reveals a latticelike structure of sharp resonance features, which enhances experimental versatility by allowing laser frequency stabilization within a wide manifold of locations in two-dimensional frequency space. We present data for $^{133}\mathrm{Cs}$ and $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ and compare our results to a theoretical model. Employing the technique for frequency stabilization close to the ${D}_{2}$ line of $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ results in an improvement in frequency stability by a factor typically between 2 and 3 for averaging times of up to 1 s. The technique will advance portable quantum technologies and facilitate high-precision measurements.

arXiv:2106.11014•Physical Review A•Jul 31, 2023•3 citations

Laser frequency stabilization via bichromatic Doppler-free spectroscopy of an 87Rb D1 line

Minhua Zhao, Xunda Jiang, Ruihuan Fang +5 more

We demonstrate a bichromatic Doppler-free spectroscopy of an 87 R b D 1 line by using a dual-frequency, counterpropagating laser field with orthogonal linear polarizations. A reversed Doppler-free resonance dip is observed in the dual-frequency scheme, and a significant improvement of frequency discrimination curve is acquired due to the coherent population trapping (CPT) effect. The influence of the static magnetic field and laser intensity on the spectroscopy is studied in both single- and dual-frequency schemes. After locking the laser frequency to the 87 R b D 1 line in the dual-frequency stabilization scheme, the beat note fractional frequency stability is at the level of 7 × 10 − 12 at 1 s integration time. This technique can be used in various applications, such as CPT atomic clocks, laser spectroscopy, quantum optics, and laser-cooling experiments.

Applied Optics•May 20, 2021•19 citations

Doppler-free spectroscopy of rubidium atoms driven by a control laser

Zheng Tan, Xiuchao Zhao, Yong Cheng +5 more

A scheme of Doppler-free spectroscopy is experimentally demonstrated with a co-propagating control laser locking to an atomic hyperfine transition, and the differential transmission of the probe and the reference laser is detected. Crossover resonances are eliminated by selecting the class of atoms with zero velocity in the direction of beam propagation. In addition, the sub-Doppler spectrum experiences optical gain compared to the conventional saturated-absorption spectrum as a result of optical pumping.

Frontiers of Physics•Jul 7, 2011•0 citations

Exploration of a vapor cell optical frequency standard scheme implemented using Doppler-free spectroscopy

Ang Zhang, Yuechen Zhang, Weihao Zhao +4 more

We implement a compact optical frequency standard scheme with laser frequency locked to the 5 S 1/2 ( F = 2) − 6 P 3/2 ( F ′ = 3) transition of the second excited state of 87 Rb atoms in a 3 mm cubic glass cell, using a Doppler-free saturated absorption spectroscopy. The experimental results show the frequency stability at the level of 2.2 × 10 −12 at 1 s. Furthermore, we conduct an experimental study on the effect of a repump laser on the frequency performance of the saturated absorption spectroscopy optical frequency standard, providing valuable experimental results with reference values for implementing this type of optical atomic clock.

Optics Letters•Sep 9, 2024•5 citations
We propose a Doppler-free spectroscopic method named bichromatic crossover spectroscopy (BCS), which we then use for the frequency stabilization of an off-resonant frequency that does not correspond to an atomic transition. The observed BCS in the 5S1/2 → 5P1/2 transition of 87Rb is related to the hyperfine structure of the conventional saturated absorption spectrum of this transition. Furthermore, the Doppler-free BCS is numerically calculated by considering all of the degenerate magnetic sublevels of the 5S1/2 → 5P1/2 transition in an atomic vapor cell, and is found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Finally, we successfully achieve modulation-free off-resonant locking at the center frequency between the two 5S1/2(F = 1 and 2) → 5P1/2(F′ = 1) transitions using a polarization rotation of the BCS. The laser frequency stability was estimated to be the Allan variance of 2.1 × 10−10 at 1 s.
We present and analyze a bichromatic version of the well-known saturation absorption spectroscopy technique used to stabilize lasers to atomic resonances without Doppler broadening. We show that the spectroscopic properties can be transferred between two transitions at very different wavelengths by spectral hole burning in a Doppler-broadened atomic ensemble. Specifically, we demonstrate that this technique can be used to stabilize a laser to the D1 line of Rb87 by obtaining a saturation absorption spectrum with a strong pump laser stabilized to the D2 line. This allows for more freedom in the choice of the probe laser frequency offsets compared to conventional saturation absorption spectroscopy. We compare our experimental results to an analytical model and numerical results based on rate equations.
The utilization of atomic or molecular spectroscopy for frequency locking of single-frequency laser to improve laser frequency stability plays an important role in the experimental investigation of optically pumped atomic magnetometers, atomic clocks, laser cooling and trapping of atoms, etc. We have experimentally demonstrated a technique for frequency stabilization of a single-frequency laser employing the bright state spectroscopy (BSS) with a rubidium atomic vapor cell. By utilizing the counter-propagating dual-frequency 795 nm laser beams with mutually orthogonal linear polarization and a frequency difference of 6.834 GHz, which is equal to the hyperfine splitting of rubidium-87 ground state 5S1/2, an absorption-enhanced signal with narrow linewidth at the center of Doppler-broadened transmission spectroscopy is observed when continuous scanning the laser frequency over rubidium-87 D1 transition. This is the so-called BSS. Amplitude of the absorption-enhanced signal in the BSS is much larger compared with the conventional saturation absorption spectroscopy (SAS). The relationship between linewidth and amplitude of the BSS signal and laser beam intensity has been investigated. This high-contrast absorption-enhanced BSS signal has been employed for the laser frequency stabilization. The experimental results show that the frequency stability is 4.4×10−11 with an integration time of 40 s, near one order of magnitude better than that for using the SAS.
Vapor-cell spectroscopy is an essential technique in many fields and is particularly relevant for quantum technologies. Most atom- and ion-trapping experiments rely on simultaneous spectroscopy of two atomic transitions, employing a separate apparatus for each transition. We demonstrate simultaneous spectroscopy on two atomic transitions, within a single apparatus, using spatially overlapped beams from two independent lasers. This method enables compact setups and offers superior spectroscopic performance, leading to sharper spectroscopy peaks, stronger absorption signals, and superior laser stability. Doppler-free locking features become accessible over a frequency range several hundred megahertz wider than for standard saturated absorption spectroscopy. Exploring the full parameter space associated with dual-frequency spectroscopy reveals a latticelike structure of sharp resonance features, which enhances experimental versatility by allowing laser frequency stabilization within a wide manifold of locations in two-dimensional frequency space. We present data for 133Cs^{133}\mathrm{Cs}133Cs and 85Rb^{85}\mathrm{Rb}85Rb and compare our results to a theoretical model. Employing the technique for frequency stabilization close to the D2{D}_{2}D2​ line of 85Rb^{85}\mathrm{Rb}85Rb results in an improvement in frequency stability by a factor typically between 2 and 3 for averaging times of up to 1 s. The technique will advance portable quantum technologies and facilitate high-precision measurements.
We demonstrate a bichromatic Doppler-free spectroscopy of an 87 R b D 1 line by using a dual-frequency, counterpropagating laser field with orthogonal linear polarizations. A reversed Doppler-free resonance dip is observed in the dual-frequency scheme, and a significant improvement of frequency discrimination curve is acquired due to the coherent population trapping (CPT) effect. The influence of the static magnetic field and laser intensity on the spectroscopy is studied in both single- and dual-frequency schemes. After locking the laser frequency to the 87 R b D 1 line in the dual-frequency stabilization scheme, the beat note fractional frequency stability is at the level of 7 × 10 − 12 at 1 s integration time. This technique can be used in various applications, such as CPT atomic clocks, laser spectroscopy, quantum optics, and laser-cooling experiments.
A scheme of Doppler-free spectroscopy is experimentally demonstrated with a co-propagating control laser locking to an atomic hyperfine transition, and the differential transmission of the probe and the reference laser is detected. Crossover resonances are eliminated by selecting the class of atoms with zero velocity in the direction of beam propagation. In addition, the sub-Doppler spectrum experiences optical gain compared to the conventional saturated-absorption spectrum as a result of optical pumping.
We implement a compact optical frequency standard scheme with laser frequency locked to the 5 S 1/2 ( F = 2) − 6 P 3/2 ( F ′ = 3) transition of the second excited state of 87 Rb atoms in a 3 mm cubic glass cell, using a Doppler-free saturated absorption spectroscopy. The experimental results show the frequency stability at the level of 2.2 × 10 −12 at 1 s. Furthermore, we conduct an experimental study on the effect of a repump laser on the frequency performance of the saturated absorption spectroscopy optical frequency standard, providing valuable experimental results with reference values for implementing this type of optical atomic clock.