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 the Optical Society of America B

Dual-channel amplification in a single-mode diode laser for multi-isotope laser cooling

James L. Booth, Janelle Van Dongen, Paul M. Lebel, Bruce G. Klappauf, Kirk W. Madison

Published Oct 31, 2007• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The output from two grating-stabilized external-cavity diode lasers were injected into a single-mode diode laser. Operating at a wavelength of 780 nm, this laser produced ~50 mW of power with two main frequency components of the same spectral characteristics of the seed lasers. The power ratio of the amplified components was freely adjustable due to gain saturation, and amplification was observed for frequency differences of the two seed lasers in the range from 73 MHz to 6.6 GHz. This system was used to realize a dual isotope magneto-optic trap (MOT) for rubidium (85Rb and 87Rb). The resulting position and cloud size of the dual isotope MOT was the same as that of the single species MOTs to within "±10 and "±20 μm, respectively. We also characterized the additional spectral components produced by four wave mixing (FWM) in the diode laser amplifier and utilized a particular FWM sideband to realize hyperfine pumping and subsequent laser trapping of 85Rb in the absence of a "repump" laser dedicated to hyperfine pumping.

DOI
10.1364/josab.24.002914

Related papers

Multiple isotope magneto-optical trap from a single diode laser

Victor Manuel Valenzuela, Saeed Hamzeloui, Monica Gutiérrez +1 more

We present a dual isotope magneto-optical trap produced using a single diode laser. We generate all the optical frequencies needed for trapping both species using a fiber intensity modulator. All the optical frequencies are amplified simultaneously using a tapered amplifier. The independent control of each frequency is on the RF side rather than on the optical side. This introduces an enormous simplification for laser-cooling applications that often require an acousto-optic modulator for each laser beam. Frequency-changing capabilities are limited by the modulator bandwidth (10 GHz). Traps for more isotopes can be simply added by including additional RF frequencies on the modulator.

arXiv:1304.3702•Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Apr 12, 2013•13 citations

A laser diode system for 40K-87Rb atomic cooling

Wei Dong, Haixia Chen, Xiong De-Zhi +2 more

We have developed a semiconductor laser system used in 40K-87Rb trapping and cooling experiment. The laser diode system is composed of three external cavity diode lasers and four injection diode lasers and a tapered amplifier. Four laser beams used for 40K and 87Rb cooling and repump lights are obtained by using acoustic optic modulators to offset the frequencies from the three external cavity diode lasers. Four light beams with different frequencies are injected into four slave lasers for injection locking. Then Rb cooling light, K cooling light and K repump light are injected into a semiconductor tapered amplifier in a master oscillator-power configuration. This configuration is flexible and stable and can simultaneously produce the cooling and repump light for 40K and 87Rb trapping and cooling experiment.

Acta Physica Sinica•Jan 1, 2006•7 citations

A scalable laser system at 461 nm for laser cooling and trapping of Sr atoms

Gunjan Verma, Enlong Wang, Joep Assendelft +4 more

Abstract The realization of compact high-power narrow-linewidth laser sources in the visible range has been a long-standing interest for the atomic physics community, especially in the field of laser cooling and trapping of alkaline-earth and alkaline-earth-like atoms. We report a simple master-slave injection-locked laser system capable of generating 500 mW at 460.86 nm with a linewidth of 1.6 MHz to realize magneto-optical trapping of strontium atoms on the $$5s^{2} \ ^{1}\mathrm {S}_{0}-5s5p \ ^{1}\mathrm {P}_{1}$$ 5 s 2 1 S 0 - 5 s 5 p 1 P 1 transition. The master laser used is an external cavity diode laser built with an anti-reflection coated laser diode in a Littrow configuration and the slave laser is built with a recently launched single mode high power GaN laser diode. We characterized the frequency noise, injection stability, spectral purity and relative intensity noise of the laser system. The reported laser system is used routinely to produce $$10^7$$ 10 7 strontium atoms at a temperature of 10 mK in a magneto-optical trap. The laser system offers a prominent alternative to the existing frequency-doubled laser systems in terms of cost, design flexibility, electrical power consumption, ease of scaling, intensity stability, and frequency tunability. The proposed system is also an effective solution for space-based experiments where a laser system’s size, weight, and electrical power consumption are crucial design parameters.

Applied Physics B•May 16, 2022•7 citations

Alternative laser system for cesium magneto-optical trap via optical injection locking to sideband of a 9-GHz current-modulated diode laser

Wen-Ting Diao, Jun He, Zhi Liu +2 more

By optical injection of an 852-nm extended-cavity diode laser (master laser) to lock the + 1-order sideband of a ~9-GHz-current-modulated diode laser (slave laser), we generate a pair of phase-locked lasers with a frequency difference up to ~9-GHz for a cesium (Cs) magneto-optical trap (MOT) with convenient tuning capability. For a cesium MOT, the master laser acts as repumping laser, locked to the Cs 6S₁/₂ (F = 3) - 6P₃/₂ (F' = 4) transition. When the + 1-order sideband of the 8.9536-GHz-current-modulated slave laser is optically injection-locked, the carrier operates on the Cs 6S₁/₂ (F = 4) - 6P₃/₂ (F' = 5) cooling cycle transition with -12 MHz detuning and acts as cooling/trapping laser. When carrying a 9.1926-GHz modulation signal, this phase-locked laser system can be applied in the fields of coherent population trapping and coherent manipulation of Cs atomic ground states.

Optics Express•Mar 19, 2012•14 citations

A single-laser alternating-frequency magneto-optical trap

B. Wiegand, B. Leykauf, K. Döringshoff +3 more

In this paper, we present a technique for magneto-optical cooling and trapping of neutral atoms using a single laser. The alternating-frequency magneto-optical trap (AF-MOT) uses an agile light source that sequentially switches between cooling and repumping transition frequencies by tuning the injection current of the laser diode. We report on the experimental demonstration of such a system for 87Rb and 85Rb based on a microintegrated extended cavity diode laser performing laser frequency jumps of up to 6.6 GHz with a tuning time in the microsecond regime and a repetition rate of up to 7.6 kHz. For that, a combination of a feed-forward for coarse frequency control and a feedback for precise locking was used. We discuss the results of the AF-MOT characterization in terms of atom numbers and cloud temperature for different operation parameters.

arXiv:1910.05540•Review of Scientific Instruments•Oct 1, 2019•4 citations

Isotope separation in a magneto-optical trap

Heung‐Ryoul Noh, J. O. Kim, D. S. Nam +1 more

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.

Review of Scientific Instruments•Apr 1, 1996•7 citations
The output from two grating-stabilized external-cavity diode lasers were injected into a single-mode diode laser. Operating at a wavelength of 780 nm, this laser produced ~50 mW of power with two main frequency components of the same spectral characteristics of the seed lasers. The power ratio of the amplified components was freely adjustable due to gain saturation, and amplification was observed for frequency differences of the two seed lasers in the range from 73 MHz to 6.6 GHz. This system was used to realize a dual isotope magneto-optic trap (MOT) for rubidium (85Rb and 87Rb). The resulting position and cloud size of the dual isotope MOT was the same as that of the single species MOTs to within "±10 and "±20 μm, respectively. We also characterized the additional spectral components produced by four wave mixing (FWM) in the diode laser amplifier and utilized a particular FWM sideband to realize hyperfine pumping and subsequent laser trapping of 85Rb in the absence of a "repump" laser dedicated to hyperfine pumping.
We present a dual isotope magneto-optical trap produced using a single diode laser. We generate all the optical frequencies needed for trapping both species using a fiber intensity modulator. All the optical frequencies are amplified simultaneously using a tapered amplifier. The independent control of each frequency is on the RF side rather than on the optical side. This introduces an enormous simplification for laser-cooling applications that often require an acousto-optic modulator for each laser beam. Frequency-changing capabilities are limited by the modulator bandwidth (10 GHz). Traps for more isotopes can be simply added by including additional RF frequencies on the modulator.
We have developed a semiconductor laser system used in 40K-87Rb trapping and cooling experiment. The laser diode system is composed of three external cavity diode lasers and four injection diode lasers and a tapered amplifier. Four laser beams used for 40K and 87Rb cooling and repump lights are obtained by using acoustic optic modulators to offset the frequencies from the three external cavity diode lasers. Four light beams with different frequencies are injected into four slave lasers for injection locking. Then Rb cooling light, K cooling light and K repump light are injected into a semiconductor tapered amplifier in a master oscillator-power configuration. This configuration is flexible and stable and can simultaneously produce the cooling and repump light for 40K and 87Rb trapping and cooling experiment.
Abstract The realization of compact high-power narrow-linewidth laser sources in the visible range has been a long-standing interest for the atomic physics community, especially in the field of laser cooling and trapping of alkaline-earth and alkaline-earth-like atoms. We report a simple master-slave injection-locked laser system capable of generating 500 mW at 460.86 nm with a linewidth of 1.6 MHz to realize magneto-optical trapping of strontium atoms on the 5s2 1S0−5s5p 1P15s^{2} \ ^{1}\mathrm {S}_{0}-5s5p \ ^{1}\mathrm {P}_{1}5s2 1S0​−5s5p 1P1​ 5 s 2 1 S 0 - 5 s 5 p 1 P 1 transition. The master laser used is an external cavity diode laser built with an anti-reflection coated laser diode in a Littrow configuration and the slave laser is built with a recently launched single mode high power GaN laser diode. We characterized the frequency noise, injection stability, spectral purity and relative intensity noise of the laser system. The reported laser system is used routinely to produce 10710^7107 10 7 strontium atoms at a temperature of 10 mK in a magneto-optical trap. The laser system offers a prominent alternative to the existing frequency-doubled laser systems in terms of cost, design flexibility, electrical power consumption, ease of scaling, intensity stability, and frequency tunability. The proposed system is also an effective solution for space-based experiments where a laser system’s size, weight, and electrical power consumption are crucial design parameters.
By optical injection of an 852-nm extended-cavity diode laser (master laser) to lock the + 1-order sideband of a ~9-GHz-current-modulated diode laser (slave laser), we generate a pair of phase-locked lasers with a frequency difference up to ~9-GHz for a cesium (Cs) magneto-optical trap (MOT) with convenient tuning capability. For a cesium MOT, the master laser acts as repumping laser, locked to the Cs 6S₁/₂ (F = 3) - 6P₃/₂ (F' = 4) transition. When the + 1-order sideband of the 8.9536-GHz-current-modulated slave laser is optically injection-locked, the carrier operates on the Cs 6S₁/₂ (F = 4) - 6P₃/₂ (F' = 5) cooling cycle transition with -12 MHz detuning and acts as cooling/trapping laser. When carrying a 9.1926-GHz modulation signal, this phase-locked laser system can be applied in the fields of coherent population trapping and coherent manipulation of Cs atomic ground states.
In this paper, we present a technique for magneto-optical cooling and trapping of neutral atoms using a single laser. The alternating-frequency magneto-optical trap (AF-MOT) uses an agile light source that sequentially switches between cooling and repumping transition frequencies by tuning the injection current of the laser diode. We report on the experimental demonstration of such a system for 87Rb and 85Rb based on a microintegrated extended cavity diode laser performing laser frequency jumps of up to 6.6 GHz with a tuning time in the microsecond regime and a repetition rate of up to 7.6 kHz. For that, a combination of a feed-forward for coarse frequency control and a feedback for precise locking was used. We discuss the results of the AF-MOT characterization in terms of atom numbers and cloud temperature for different operation parameters.
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.