Frequency stabilization of a 399-nm laser by modulation transfer spectroscopy in an ytterbium hollow cathode lamp

The modulation transfer spectroscopy in an ytterbium hollow cathode lamp at 399 nm is measured. The error signal for frequency locking is optimized by measuring the dependences of its slope, linewidth and magnitude on various parameters. Under the optimum condition, the laser frequency at 399 nm can be stabilized. The long-term stability of laser frequency is measured by monitoring the fluorescence signal of the ytterbium atomic beam induced by the locked laser. The laser frequency is shown to be tightly locked, and the stabilized laser is successfully applied to the cooling of ytterbium atoms.

Arbitrary frequency stabilization of a diode laser based on visual Labview PID VI and sound card output

We report a robust method of directly stabilizing a grating feedback diode laser to an arbitrary frequency in a large range. The error signal, induced from the difference between the frequency measured by a wavelength meter and the preset target frequency, is fed back to the piezoelectric transducer module of the diode laser via a sound card in the computer. A visual Labview procedure is developed to realize a feedback system. In our experiment the frequency drift of the diode laser is reduced to 8 MHz within 25 min. The robust scheme can be adapted to realize the arbitrary frequency stabilization for many other kinds of lasers.

High-performance frequency stabilization of ultraviolet diode lasers by using dichroic atomic vapor spectroscopy and transfer cavity

We develop a high-performance ultraviolet(UV)frequency stabilization technique implemented directly on UV diode lasers by combining the dichroic atomic vapor laser lock and the resonant transfer cavity lock.As an example,we demonstrate a stable locking with measured frequency standard deviations of approximately 200 kHz and 300 kHz for 399 nm and 370 nm diode lasers in 20 min.We achieve a long-term frequency drift of no more than 1 MHz for the target 370 nm laser within an hour,which is further verified with fluorescence count rates of a single trapped ^171Yb+ion.We also find strong linear correlations between lock points and environmental factors such as temperature and atmospheric pressure.Our approach provides a simple and stable solution at a relatively low cost,and features flexible control,high feedback bandwidth and minimal power consumption of the target UV laser.

Improvement of Laser Frequency Stabilization for the Optical Pumping Cesium Beam Standard

A method is presented to improve the laser frequency stabilization for the optical pumping cesium clock. By comparing the laser frequency stabilization of different schemes, we verify that the light angle is an important factor that limits the long-term frequency stability. We minimize the drift of the light angle by using a fiber- coupled output, and lock the frequency of a distributed-feedback diode laser to the fluorescence spectrum of the atomic beam. The measured frequency stability is about 3.5 ×10^-11 at i s and reaches 1.5 × 10^-12 at 2000s. The Allan variance keeps going down for up to thousands of seconds, indicating that the medium- and long-term stability of the laser frequency is significantly improved and perfectly fulfills the requirement for the optical pumping cesium clock.

Miniature laser frequency stabilization module for cold atom sensing

In this study,a miniature laser frequency stabilization module for cold atom sensing applications was designed and realized.The module can lock the laser frequency to the saturated absorption spectrum of the D2 line of rubidium(Rb)atoms using the frequency modulation spectroscopy method.The module core is a tiny Rb cell,co-packaged with the saturation absorption optical setup,temperature control circuit,and detection circuit through a joint optical-mechanical-electrical design for a total volume of only 40 mm×15 mm×30 mm.The frequency fluctuation of the 780 nm laser after frequency stabilization by the module was within 1 MHz over 1000 s,which is adequate for magneto-optical trap experiments.The results verify the feasibility of the module as a frequency reference and provide a light source for portable cold atom sensing devices.

Multiple wavelength frequency stabilization with a single transfer cavity for mercury optical lattice clock

A simple and robust multiple wavelength frequency stabilization system is demonstrated using a single transfer cavity and a1062-nm ultra-stable laser for all the lasers used in a mercury optical lattice clock.Offset sideband locking is employed to tune the laser frequency while dichroic mirrors and differentiated modulation frequencies are utilized for the Pound–Drever–Hall locking of four-color lasers.For the most demanding lasers at 1015 nm and 725 nm,the line width of the beat note is reduced to 27 kHz and 17 kHz,respectively.The frequency fluctuation for the transfer-locked 1015-nm laser is less than 10 kHz,which is much better than the lasers locked to an atomic spectrum.Using its high stability of 5×10^(-12)over100 s,the transfer-locked 1015-nm laser is employed for low-noise frequency modulated saturated absorption spectroscopy.This approach could also be used in various situations for the research of optical clocks,Rydberg atoms,laser cooling of molecules,and quantum computation with neutral atoms.

The developing condition analysis of semiconductor laser frequency stabilization technology

The frequency stability of free-running semiconductor lasers is influenced by several factors, such as driving current and external operating environment. The frequency stabilization of laser has become an international research hotspot in recent years. This paper reviews active frequency stabilization technologies of laser diodes and elaborates their principles. Based on differences of frequency discrimination curves, these active frequency stabilization technologies are classified into three major types, which are harmonic frequency stabilization,Pound-Drever-Hall(PDH) technology and curve subtraction frequency stabilization. Further, merits and demerits of each technology are compared from aspects of frequency stability and structure complexity. Finally, prospects of frequency stabilization technologies of semiconductor lasers are discussed in detail. Combining several of these methods are future trends, especially the combination of frequency stabilization of F–P cavity. And PID electronic control for optimizing the servo system is generally added in the methods mentioned above.

Frequency Stabilization and Linewidth Narrowing with Modulation Transfer Spectroscopy

We report laser frequency stabilization with modulation transfer spectroscopy（MTS） on 85 Rb atoms. With both PZT（piezo-electric transducer） slow-loop feedback and current fastloop feedback to the laser head, we get a linewidth narrowing less than 5 kHz simultaneously. Laser injection to a laser diode and frequency beating with another polarization spectroscopy based stabilization setup are also employed to check the narrow linewidth property. With the help of the technique, a linewidth around k Hz-level laser is obtained and pave the way for the locking of the lattice laser of ytterbium clock with transfer cavity technique. The setup can be used as a frequency reference for precise frequency control of atomic clock system.

Frequency stabilization of a 214.5-nm ultraviolet laser

An improved method for stabilizing a frequency-quadrupled 214.5-nm tunable diode laser system is re- ported. Improvements to the method include a homemade logic circuit and the use of a Fabry-Perot optical spectrum analyzer as a transfer cavity. Lasers locked with this method exhibit megahertz-level frequency stability measured with an optical frequency comb referenced to a cesium atomic standard. The laser can be locked for hours to days, depending on experiment requirements. Being relatively inexpensive, stable, and robust, the control method can be applied to stabilizing essentially all lasers of deep ultraviolet wavelengths.

Polarization spectra of Rb atoms and their application in laser frequency stabilization

Polarization spectra of rubidium atoms were investigated with different uncrossed angles between the polarizer and the analyzer. The variation of the spectra was derived theoretically as a function of arbitrary angle, and measured experimentally for different angles. The spectral profile of D2 line of rubidium was further used to stabilize the frequency of a diode laser. It was demonstrated that the laser linewidth was reduced to 2 MHz.

A robust method for frequency stabilization of 556-nm laser operating at the intercombination transition of ytterbium

A frequency-stabilized 556-nm laser is an essential tool for experimental studies associated with ^1S0-^3p1 intercombination transition of ytterbium （Yb） atoms. A 556-nm laser light using a single-pass second harmonic generation （SHG） is obtained in a periodically poled MgO：LiNbO3 （PPLN） crystal pumped by a fiber laser at 1111.6 nm. A robust frequency stabilization method which facilitates the control of laser frequency with an accuracy better than the natural linewidth （187 kHz） of the intercombination line is developed. The short-term frequency jitter is reduced to less than 100 kHz by locking the laser to a home-made reference cavity. A slow frequency drift is sensed by the 556-nm fluorescence signal of an Yb atomic beam excited by one probe beam and is reduced to less than 50-kHz by a computer-controlled servo system. The laser can be stably locked for more than 5 h. This frequency stabilization method can be extended to other alkaline-earth-like atoms with similar weak intercombination lines.

Frequency stabilization of diode laser to 1.637 μm based on the methane absorption line

The frequency of an external-cavity diode laser has been stabilized to 1.637 μm by using the reference of absorption lines of methane. The method can be applied to wavelength division multiplexed optical communication, fiber-optic sensing systems, as well as the high-sensitivity detection of methane. The derivative-like error signal yielded by frequency modulation and phase sensitivity detection technology is inputted into the PI feedback loop circuit in order to stabilize the frequency to the line center. After stabilization, the frequency fluctuation of diode laser is held within 5.6 MHz, and the root of Allan variance of error signal reaches a minimum of 1.66×10-10 for an average time of 10 s.

Bichromatic laser frequency stabilization with Doppler effect and polarization spectroscopy

The interaction between polychromatic fields and atoms is an important subject in quantum optics.Frequency locking for small frequency interval multi-field is usually required in some experiments.In this letter,we experimentally demonstrate a holistic scheme for bichromatic laser frequency stabilization.Compared with traditional saturation absorption methods and complicated frequency shift schemes,offset locking for bichromatic fields is simply achieved using polarization spectroscopy and Doppler effect.Frequency locking with a wide-range asymmetry of the detuning is also shown.Our scheme makes laser spectroscopy experiments with polychromatic fields more convenient.

Seed laser frequency stabilization for Doppler wind lidar

We demonstrate a tunable wavelength-locked seed laser source with high-frequency stability to realize the precise measurements of global atmospheric wind field. An Nd：YAG laser at 1 064 nm is used as the master laser （ML）. Its frequency is locked to a confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer by using the Pound-Drever- Hall method, which ensures the peak-to-peak value of its frequency drifts less than 180 kHz over 2 h. Another Nd：YAG laser at 1 064 nm, as the slave laser, is offset-locked to the above ML using optical phase locked loop, retaining virtually the same absolute frequency stability as the ML. The tunable ranges of the frequency differences between two lasers are up to 3 OHz, and the tuning step length was an arbitrary integral multiple of 200 kHz. The researched seed laser source is compact and robust, which can well satisfy the requirement of the Doppler wind lidar.

Frequency stabilization of a laser-diode-module-pumped single-frequency Cr,Nd:YAG laser

A single-frequency passively Q-switched laser was constructed, in which a co-doped crystal served as an active element, a mode selector, and a passive Q-switch simultaneously. In order to obtain the frequency instability of 10^-6, a stable single-frequency operation was presented and its characteristics were determined. The experimental results showed that the stable single frequency could be maintained for half an hour and the linewidth was approximately 530 MHz at a pump power of 13 W.

Frequency stabilization of pulsed CO_2 laser using setup-time method

A new method for laser-frequency stabilization by controlling the pulse setup time is presented. The frequency-stabilization system monitors the pulse setup time continuously, and controls it by adjusting the cavity length. Laser frequency is stabilized to the center of the gain curve when the setup time is the shortest. The system is used to stabilize a radio-frequency-excited waveguide CO2 laser tuned by grating, and the shift of laser frequency is estimated to be less than ±25 MHz for an extended period. The system has the advantages of compact structure, small volume, and low cost. It can be applied for frequency stabilization of other kinds of pulsed lasers with adjustable cavity.

A long-term frequency-stabilized erbium-fiber-laser-based optical frequency comb with an intra-cavity electro-optic modulator

We demonstrate an optical frequency comb based on an erbium-doped-fiber femtosecond laser with the nonlinear polarization evolution scheme. The repetition rate of the laser is about 209 MHz. By controlling an intra-cavity electro- optic modulator and a piezo-transducer, the repetition rate can be stabilized with a high-bandwidth servo in a frequency range of 3 kHz, enabling long-term repetition rate phase-locking. The in-loop frequency stability of repetition rate is about 1.6× 10-13 in an integration time of 1 s, limited by the measurement system; and it is inversely proportional to integration time in the short term. Furthermore, using a common path f-2f interferometer, the carrier envelope offset frequency of the comb is obtained with a signal-to-noise ratio of 40 dB in a 3-MHz resolution bandwidth. Stabilized cartier envelope offset frequency exhibits a deviation of 0.6 mHz in an integration time of 1 s.

Flexible control of semiconductor laser with frequency tunable modulation transfer spectroscopy

We introduce a new method of simultaneously implementing frequency stabilization and frequency shift for semiconductor lasers. We name this method the frequency tunable modulation transfer spectroscopy （FTMTS）. To realize a stable output of 780 nm semiconductor laser, an FTMTS optical heterodyne frequency stabilization system is constructed. Before entering into the frequency stabilization system, the probe laser passes through an acousto-optical modulator （AOM） twice in advance to achieve tunable frequency while keeping the light path stable. According to the experimental results, the frequency changes from 120 MHz to 190 MHz after the double-pass AOM, and the intensity of laser entering into the system is greatly changed, but there is almost no change in the error signal of the FTMTS spectrum. Using this signal to lock the laser frequency, we can ensure that the frequency of the laser changes with the amount of AOM shift. Therefore, the magneto-optical trap （MOT）-molasses process can be implemented smoothly.

Study of a low power dissipation,miniature laser-pumped rubidium frequency standard

This paper studies a miniature low power consumption laser-pumped atom vapour cell clock scheme. Pumping ^87Rb with a vertical cavity surface emitting laser diode pump and locking the laser frequency on a Doppler-broadened spectral line, it records a 5 × 10^-11τ-1/2 （τ〈500 s） frequency stability with a table-top system in a primary experiment. The study reveals that the evaluated scheme is at the level of 2.7 watts power consumption, 90 cm^3 volume and 10^-12τ-1/2 short-term frequency stability.

Generation of stable and tunable optical frequency linked to a radio frequency by use of a high finesse cavity and its application in absorption spectroscopy

The laser frequency could be linked to an radio frequency through an external cavity by the combination of Pound-Drever-Hall and Devoe-Brewer locking techniques.A stable and tunable optical frequency at wavelength of 1.5μm obtained by a cavity with high finesse of 96000 and a fiber laser has been demonstrated,calibrated by a commercial optical frequency comb.The locking performances have been analyzed by in-loop and out-loop noises,indicating that the absolute frequency instability could be down to 50 kHz over 1 s and keep to less than 110 kHz over 2.5 h.Then,the application of this stabilized laser to the direct absorption spectroscopy has been performed.With the help of balanced detection,the detection sensitivity,in terms of optical density,can reach to 9.4×10^(-6).