Compact, robust, and spectrally pure diode-laser system with a filtered output and a tunable copy for absolute referencing

Abstract

We report on a design of a compact laser system composed of an extended-cavity diode laser with high passive stability and a pre-filter Fabry–Perot cavity. The laser is frequency-stabilized relative to the cavity using a serrodyne technique with a correction bandwidth of ≥6 MHz and a dynamic range of ≥700 MHz. The free-running laser system has a power spectral density (PSD) ≤100 Hz2/Hz centered mainly in the acoustic frequency range. A highly tunable, 0.5–1.3 GHz copy of the spectrally pure output beam is provided, which can be used for further stabilization of the laser system to an ultra-stable reference. We demonstrate a simple one-channel lock to such a reference that brings down the PSD to the sub-Hz level. The tuning, frequency stabilization, and sideband imprinting are achieved by a minimum number of key elements comprising a fibered electro-optic modulator, acousto-optic modulator, and a nonlinear transmission line. The system is easy to operate, scalable, and highly applicable to atomic/molecular experiments demanding high spectral purity, long-term stability, and robustness.