Abstract
We present a slave laser highly suitable for the preparation and detection of 87Rb Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC). A highly anti-reflection coated laser diode serves as an optical amplifier, which requires neither active temperature stabilization nor dedicated equipment monitoring the spectral purity of the amplified light. The laser power can be controlled with a precision of 10 μW in 70 mW with relative fluctuations down to 2 × 10−4. Due to its simplicity and reliability, this slave laser will be a useful tool for laboratory, mobile, or even space-based cold-atom experiments. By the way of demonstration this slave laser was used as the sole 780 nm light-source in the production of 3 × 104 BECs in a hybrid magnetic/dipole trap.
Highlights
Many ultra-cold atom (Bose-Einstein Condensation) experiments rely on optical methods for both state preparation and detection of the atoms
Most modern laser systems for ultra-cold atom experiments are based on diode lasers in a so-called master-oscillator-power-amplifier (MOPA) arrangement, with Fabry-Perot laser diodes,[4] tapered laser diodes[5,6,7] or fiber lasers.[8,9,10]
The light from the AR-diode slave laser is sent via optical fibers to a distribution board from where it is sent to the 2D and 3D magneto-optical traps (MOT)
Summary
Many ultra-cold atom (Bose-Einstein Condensation) experiments rely on optical methods for both state preparation (optical cooling) and detection of the atoms. The output facets of the slave laser diodes exhibit considerable back-reflection, forming a Fabry-Perot cavity, reducing the lasing threshold of the cavity modes. The output power cannot be ramped or modulated except over very narrow ranges, and the output power can only be stabilized against small external fluctuations.[15] The output of the slave laser needs to be continuously monitored for signs of multi-mode or self lasing, e.g. using an external Fabry-Perot (FP) resonator. An AR coated diode has a very high self-lasing threshold When seeded, it amplifies the incident light for a very large range of parameters and the emitted spectrum contains no other peaks next to the one at the frequency of the seed. The resulting laser system does not require active temperature stabilization or any dedicated equipment monitoring the spectral quality of the emitted light
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