Abstract
A 1542-nm planar-waveguide external cavity laser (PW-ECL) is shown to have a sufficiently low level of noise to be suitable for precision measurement applications. Its frequency noise and intensity noise was comparable or better than the non-planar ring oscillator (NPRO) and fiber laser between 0.1 mHz to 100 kHz. Controllability of the PW-ECL was demonstrated by stabilizing its frequency to acetylene ((13)C(2)H(2)) at 10(-13) level of Allan deviation. The PW-ECL also has the advantage of the compactness of a standard butterfly package, low cost, and a simple design consisting of a semiconductor gain media coupled to a planar-waveguide Bragg reflector.
Highlights
Telecom technology has evolved dramatically over the last decades
The planar external cavity diode laser (PW-ECL) we tested here is based on technology initially developed for telecom applications and later optimized for low frequency noise
As a possible alternative to those lasers, we evaluated a planar-waveguide external cavity laser (PW-ECL), developed for optical sensing applications and available for 1550-nm spectral range, including dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) international telecommunication union (ITU) channels
Summary
Telecom technology has evolved dramatically over the last decades. Better, smaller, and more cost-effective integrated optical components have been introduced into the telecom market, and are finding a number of applications for interferometric sensing. The planar external cavity diode laser (PW-ECL) we tested here is based on technology initially developed for telecom applications and later optimized for low frequency noise. We show that it has advantages for precision measurements. The NPRO [1] is the present standard for low-noise interferometric sensing applications, employing a relatively simple configuration of a gain media (Nd:YAG crystal for 1064 nm and 1319 nm) used as a ring cavity. ([WHUQDO RU3H[WHQGHG FDYLW\GLRGHODVHUV (&/V EDVHGRQ/LWWPDQ>4] and Littrow [5] configurations have wide tuning range and narrow linewidth They have been used for optical clocks and high-precision spectroscopy, achieving 1015 level frequency stability with rigid optical cavities [6,7]. The simple structure, high performance, and especially, compactness of the PW-ECL make it attractive for use in compact optical frequency standards and space missions
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