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Optics Letters

Simplified atom trap by using direct microwave modulation of a diode laser

Christopher J. Myatt, Nathan R. Newbury, Carl Wieman

Published Apr 15, 1993• 45 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate direct microwave modulation of diode lasers operated with optical feedback from a diffraction grating. We obtain substantial fractions of the laser power (2–30%) in a single sideband at frequencies as high 6.8 GHz with 20 mW of microwave power and simple inefficient microwave coupling. Using a single diode as modulated at 6.6 GHz, we trapped 87Rb atoms in a vapor cell. With only 10 mW of microwave power we laser trapped 85% as many atoms as were obtained by using two lasers in the conventional manner.

DOI
10.1364/ol.18.000649

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Optics Letters•Aug 1, 1996•175 citations
We demonstrate direct microwave modulation of diode lasers operated with optical feedback from a diffraction grating. We obtain substantial fractions of the laser power (2–30%) in a single sideband at frequencies as high 6.8 GHz with 20 mW of microwave power and simple inefficient microwave coupling. Using a single diode as modulated at 6.6 GHz, we trapped 87Rb atoms in a vapor cell. With only 10 mW of microwave power we laser trapped 85% as many atoms as were obtained by using two lasers in the conventional manner.
We have demonstrated microwave modulation of a diode laser which is operated with optical feedback from a diffraction grating. By directly modulating the diode laser current at frequencies up to 6.8 GHz, we observed 2-30% of the laser power in a single sideband for 20mW of microwave power. Using such a diode laser modulated at 6.6GHz, we have trapped {sup 87}Rb in a vapor cell. With 10mW of microwave power, the number of trapped atoms was only 15% smaller than the number obtained using two lasers in the conventional manner. A microwave modulated diode laser should also be useful for driving stimulated Raman transitions between the hyperfine levels of Rb or Cs.
We demonstrate simultaneous trapping and spatial separation of the two stable rubidium isotopes in a magneto-optical trap. To realize this novel type of isotope separation, we have built a compact diode laser which is frequency-stabilized by optical feedback from a diffraction grating, and frequency-modulated by a direct microwave modulation of the bias current from a yittrium iron garnet tuned oscillator. Use of the single diode laser with microwave sidebands provides much ease and flexibility in the applications of a magneto-optical trap.
We describe a simple modification to a grating-stabilized diode laser intended for use in neutral atom cooling and trapping. Modulation of the laser diode’s driving current at microwave frequencies induces sidebands in the laser’s spectrum that eliminate the need for a second laser in a trapping apparatus, yielding a considerable savings in effort and cost. A detailed description of the process for selection and assembly of microwave components is given. In an appendix we list the hardware used, with vendor and pricing information.
Laser cooling of atoms usually necessitates several laser frequencies. Alkaline atoms, for example, are cooled by two lasers with a frequency difference in the gigahertz range. This gap cannot be closed with simple shifting techniques. Here, we present a method of generating sidebands at 6.6 GHz by modulating the current of a tapered amplifier, which is seeded by an unmodulated master laser. The sidebands enable trapping of 1.1 × 10(9) (87)Rb atoms in a chip-based magneto-optical trap. Compared to the direct modulation of the master laser, this method allows for an easy implementation, a fast adjustment over a wide frequency range, and the simultaneous extraction of unmodulated light for manipulation and detection. The low power consumption, small size, and applicability for multiple frequencies benefit a wide range of applications reaching from atom-based mobile sensors to the laser cooling of molecules.
We present a novel and simple magneto-optical trap in pyramidal and in conical hollow mirrors, using a single beam. A diode laser having modulation sidebands at microwaves is used for cooling, trapping, and repumping of rubidium atoms in a vapor cell. When the laser is circularly polarized and sent into the hollow region, three pairs of counterpropagating beams are automatically produced therein that have the same polarization configuration as that of a conventional six-beam magneto-optical trap. The fluorescence by the trapped atoms and its mirror image are observed simultaneously. This system may be useful for atom-manipulation applications such as gravitational atom traps and atom waveguides.