Abstract In this article, the construction of an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) with the wavelength selection and stabilization given by an interference filter in a cateye reflector mirror type instead of using a common grating Littrow configuration is described. We show that our ECDL can be locked for several hours to a given frequency with the broad temperature variation of about 0.2-0.4 °C. A rubidium saturated absorption spectroscopy was used to check our ECDL with the D2 hyperfine transitions. Our low-cost and stabilized ECDL can be used for cold atom experiments as well as in quantum and atom optics applications.
Abstract In this article, the construction of an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) with the wavelength selection and stabilization given by an interference filter in a cateye reflector mirror type instead of using a common grating Littrow configuration is described. We show that our ECDL can be locked for several hours to a given frequency with the broad temperature variation of about 0.2-0.4 °C. A rubidium saturated absorption spectroscopy was used to check our ECDL with the D2 hyperfine transitions. Our low-cost and stabilized ECDL can be used for cold atom experiments as well as in quantum and atom optics applications.
In the presented study a diode laser was characterised and used for spec- troscopy, measuring the resonance lines of atomic rubidium. The characteristics of diode lasers and external cavity diode lasers (ECDL) for the purposes of ab- sorption spectroscopy were investigated and an experimental setup for tunable diode laser spectroscopy using an ECDL was developed. In external cavity diode lasers, the advantages of low cost, small size and e ciency of a diode laser is combined with tunability and a narrow frequency bandwidth. The ECDL was applied in experimental setups for absorption spectroscopy and saturated ab- sorption spectroscopy. Measurement of the absorption of atomic rubidium's D2 line near 780 nm is discussed. The Doppler broadened, as well as the Doppler free spectrum of the ne and hyper ne structure of the D2 line were measured and is discussed. Finer control of the ECDL's stability and frequency, using a servo circuit, were investigated and tested. An overview is given of laser cool- ing and trapping of neutral rubidium atoms, which is the main application the ECDL were developed for.
This thesis describes the design, construction and characterization of an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) within the context of AMO research – specifically, ultracold rubidium experiments. The main benefit over other forms of laser light is the ECDL’s low cost and narrow linewidth. Having a more narrow linewidth allows us to affect specific electron states, such as for laser cooling, more precisely than broader alternatives. We find that building such a laser in house is feasible with scan range up to 4 GHz. We also note that attention to external noise, through mechanical vibrations but more importantly through temperature drifts, is necessary to produce an ECDL with a stable optical frequency.
The advancement of cold atom gravimeters (CAG) is based on the precise control and stabilization of lasers used for the atom interferometry.The 5S → 5P transition in rubidium (Rb) at 780.241 nm is crucial for such quantum technology applications.In this study, the hyperfine structure of 5 2 S1/2 → 5 2 P3/2, D2 transition line of 87 Rb atoms obtained through saturation absorption spectroscopy, are used as a reference for the frequency stabilization of an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) operating at 780 nm.The ECDL is locked to the hyperfine saturated absorption peak of 87 Rb (F = 2 → 3').This laser beam is combined with another 780 nm ECDL laser to obtain the beat frequency spectrum, generating a beat note signal of ~ 6.8 GHz, which is needed for phase stabilization between lasers.These are critical for the Raman beam generation in the CAG, as the 87 Rb atoms ground hyperfine states (F = 1 and F = 2) have separation of ~ 6.834 GHz, and two Raman beams with an 6.8 GHz offset can drive transitions between these hyperfine states of 87 Rb to realize the CAG interferometry scheme.
Abstract An external cavity diode laser, equipped with a cat-eye reflector setup, an interference filter, and a polarizing beam splitter, has been demonstrated to produce a laser wavelength of approximately 483 nm. This ECDL is based on the affordably priced commercial laser diode, GH04850B2G. Critical characteristics, such as fluctuations in optical power and output wavelength in response to injected current, were investigated. In anticipation of potential experiments involving rubidium Rydberg atoms, a simulation of the electromagnetically induced transparency spectrum was conducted using this laser setup in conjunction with a 780-nm laser.
The diode laser system for laser cooling on the 1S 0 → 3P1 intercombination line of strontium discussed in this thesis allows us to cool and trap an atomic strontium sample to 15 muK. Samples in this temperature range are useful for the development of the next generation of atomic frequency standards, cold collision studies, and as a step towards quantum degeneracy. This laser system consists of a Littrow configuration external-cavity diode laser, which is frequency locked to a high finesse cavity. The cavity is subsequently locked to an absorption feature to produce a few mW of tunable, stabilized, single mode power at the target wavelength. We present the design and characterization of this system, including a linewidth measurement of 70 kHz, as well as preliminary results from cooling and trapping.
One of the key technologies in cold atom experiments such as optical atomic clocks, quantum computers and simulators, as well as in optical communication and time keeping, is taking advantage of the external-cavity diode lasers (ECDLs). Because of the high sophistication of cold atom experiments, it is very important to have full control over frequency and single mode operation of the laser. Fully automatic control in cold atom experiments, including relocking lasers' stabilization, frequency control of repumping lasers, control over currents in magnetic field coils [1] is a big challenge. On the other hand, it is crucial in high-TRL cold atom applications, such as transportable optical clocks [2]–[4], and quantum computers [5].