Abstract
A driver for the stable-frequency operation of an AlGaAs laser diode is described. This consists of a constant current source with short-term fluctuations of ±8 μA and a drift of less than 2 μA in 10 h, in conjunction with a ±1 mdeg temperature controller. The current can be set to values up to 100 mA and a ramp current up to 20 mA can be added to this to allow frequency scanning of the laser. The laser linewidth is measured by heterodyning two such stabilized lasers and recording the beat note. This has a width of 27±7 MHz. The frequency drift is monitored by exciting the D2 transition of cesium and recording the change in absorbed power when a laser is tuned to the side of an absorption peak. The drift is measured to be 10 kHz/s over 5 h, and is attributed largely to temperature drift. In addition, the current circuit can be readily interfaced to a microcomputer for automatic control of the laser current without sacrificing stability.
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