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Physical Review Letters

Continuous Wave Coherent Lyman- α Radiation

K. S. E. Eikema, J. Walz, Theodor W. Hänsch

Published Nov 8, 1999• 79 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We describe the first coherent generation of continuous wave radiation at 121.56 nm. A yield of $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}\mathrm{photons}/\mathrm{sec}$ (0.5 nW) has been achieved by four-wave mixing in mercury vapor. This continuous Lyman- $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ source could be used for laser cooling and precision spectroscopy of both hydrogen and antihydrogen.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.83.3828

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We describe the first coherent generation of continuous wave radiation at 121.56 nm. A yield of 3\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi108photons/sec3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}\mathrm{photons}/\mathrm{sec}3\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi108photons/sec (0.5 nW) has been achieved by four-wave mixing in mercury vapor. This continuous Lyman- \ensuremathα\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremathα source could be used for laser cooling and precision spectroscopy of both hydrogen and antihydrogen.
A coherent continuous-wave Lyman-alpha source based on four-wave sum-frequency mixing in mercury vapor has been realized with solid-state lasers. The third-order nonlinear susceptibility is enhanced by the 6(1)S - 7(1)S two-photon resonance and the near 6(1)S-6(3)P one-photon resonance. The phase matching curve for this four-wave mixing scheme is observed for the first time. In addition we investigate the two-photon enhancement of the Lyman-alpha yield and observe that the maxima of Lyman-alpha generation are shifted compared to the two-photon resonances of the different isotopes.
Cooling antihydrogen atoms is important for future experiments both to test the fundamental CPT symmetry by high resolution laser spectroscopy and also to measure the gravitational acceleration of antimatter. Laser cooling of antihydrogen can be done on the strong 1S–2P transition at the wavelength of Lyman-alpha (121.6 nm). A continuous wave laser at the Lyman-alpha wavelength based on solid-state fundamental lasers is described. By using a two-photon and a near one-photon resonance a scan across the whole phase matching curve of the four-wave mixing process is possible. Furthermore the influence of the beam profile of one fundamental beam on the four-wave mixing process is studied.
Cooling antihydrogen atoms is important for future experiments both to test the fundamental CPT symmetry by high-resolution laser spectroscopy and also to measure the gravitational acceleration of antimatter. Laser-cooling of antihydrogen can be done on the strong 1S-2P transition at the wavelength of Lyman-alpha (121.6nm). A continuous-wave laser at the Lyman-alpha wavelength based on solid-state fundamental lasers is described. By using a two-photon and a near one photon resonance a scan across the whole phasematching curve of the four-wave mixing process is possible. Furthermore the influence of the beam profile of one fundamental beam on the four-wave mixing process is studied.