Linewidth Diode Laser Research Articles

High resolution laser spectroscopy of iodine molecule in the 14400–14600 cm−1 range

We have extended our previous work (Torres et al., 2022) by performing absorption laser spectroscopy of I2 in the 14400–14600 cm−1 range, using a narrow linewidth diode laser, whose frequency is actively measured using a calibrated wavelength meter. In this range, we have observed 1204 reference lines, 417 more lines than Salami and Ross (2005). The remaining lines are in good agreement with the works carried out by Gerstenkorn and Luc (1979) and by Salami and Ross (2005). The spectrum predicted by the software Iodine Spec5 reproduced our results very accurately.

Tunable ultra-narrow linewidth diode laser for multiple metastable rare gas pumping.

We present what we believe to be a novel external cavity feedback structure based on a double-layer laser diode array with volume Bragg grating (VBG). Diode laser collimation and external cavity feedback result in a high-power and ultra-narrow linewidth diode laser pumping source with a central wavelength of 811.292 nm, spectral linewidth of 0.052 nm, and output power exceeding 100 W, with external cavity feedback and electro-optical conversion efficiencies exceeding 90% and 46%, respectively. The temperature of VBG is controlled to tune the central wavelength from 811.292 nm to 811.613 nm, covering the Kr* and Ar* absorption spectra. We believe this is the first report of an ultra-narrow linewidth diode laser that can pump two metastable rare gases.

High-power narrow-linewidth 780 nm diode laser based on external cavity feedback technology of volume Bragg grating

A diode-pumped alkali metal vapor laser (DPAL) combines the advantages of a solid laser and a gas laser. DPAL is useful in the industrial, medical, aerospace and military fields and can yield high output power while maintaining excellent beam quality. However, applications in many fields are limited due to the narrow absorption spectrum of the alkali metal vapor laser. In this study, a novel linewidth narrowing structure of the high-power diode laser based on volume Bragg gratings (VBGs) is proposed to match the absorption spectrum of the alkali metal vapor laser. With the combination of fast-axis collimating lens, beam transformation systems, slow-axis collimating lens, VBGs and metal ceramic heaters, the divergence angles of both fast and slow axis are compressed within 10 mrad. A high-power narrow linewidth diode laser source with a central wavelength of 780.044 nm, a spectral width of 0.138 nm, and an output power of 1090 W is achieved at an operating current of 50 A. Experimental results show that the effect of external cavity feedback based on VBG is improved and the multi-channel spectral linewidth is narrowed effectively by such a structure. The diode laser source based on this structure can be applied for pumping the rubidium alkali metal vapor laser.

High resolution laser spectroscopy of iodine molecule in the [formula omitted] range

In this work, we report the absorption laser spectroscopy of iodine molecule in the 14600–14710cm−1 range, which was performed using a narrow linewidth diode laser, whose frequency is actively measured using a calibrated wavelength meter. Our signal-to-noise ratio is about three times greater than Salami and Ross (2005), allowing us to observe a total of 648 reference lines, 238 of which are new. The previous reported lines are in good agreement with the works carried out by Gerstenkorn and Luc (1979) and by Salami and Ross (2005). Our results also suggest that reference cells of more modest dimension should provide a viable signal for wavelength calibration and laser stabilization in this range.

All-fiber gas Raman laser oscillator.

Here, we report the first, to the best of our knowledge, all-fiber gas Raman laser oscillator (AFGRLO), which is formed by fusion splicing solid-core fibers and a hydrogen-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber, and further introducing fiber Bragg gratings at a Stokes wavelength. Pumping with a homemade 1.54 µm fiber amplifier seeded by a narrow linewidth diode laser, we obtain the maximum output Stokes power of 1.8 W at 1693 nm by rotational stimulated Raman scattering of hydrogen molecules. Due to the involvement of the resonant cavity, the measured Raman threshold is as low as 0.98 W, which has been reduced nearly 20 times, compared with that of the single-pass structure. Moreover, a numerical model of an AFGRLO is established for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, and the simulations agree well with the experimental results. This Letter is significant for the development of fiber gas Raman lasers (FGRLs), particularly for achieving compact CW FGRLs towards the mid-infrared.

638 nm narrow linewidth diode laser with a grating external cavity

The predecessor of China Optics was China Optics and Applied Optics Digest, which was founded in 1985. At that time, it was the only retrieval journal in the field of optics in China. At the end of 2008, China Optics and Applied Optics Digest was renamed

Advances in narrow linewidth diode lasers

The era of smart travel has arrived, and the need for high precision lidar detection technology is increasing. With the advantages of high resolution, a strong anti-active jamming ability, small volume, light weight, and low cost, new solid-state lidars can meet the requirements of intelligent cars in the future. A narrow linewidth diode laser is an ideal light source of solid-state lidars. The progress and development of narrow linewidth diode laser techniques can greatly improve the application of solid-state lidars. In this paper, the technology and development is described in detail. In addition, the design ideas, key fabrication technologies, and optical characteristics of various narrow linewidth diode lasers are analyzed and discussed. Finally, the developments of narrow linewidth diode lasers are proposed.

Wavelength calibration of a high resolution spectrograph with a partially stabilized 15-GHz astrocomb from 550 to 890 nm.

A visible astrocomb spanning 555-890 nm has been implemented on the 10-m Southern African Large Telescope, delivering complete calibration of one channel of its high-resolution spectrograph and an accurate determination of its resolving power. A novel co-coupling method allowed simultaneous observation of on-sky, Th-Ar lamp and astrocomb channels, reducing the wavelength calibration uncertainty by a factor of two compared to that obtained using only Th-Ar lines. The excellent passive stability of the master frequency comb laser enabled broadband astrocomb generation without the need for carrier-envelope offset frequency locking, and an atomically referenced narrow linewidth diode laser provided an absolute fiducial marker for wavelength calibration. The simple astrocomb architecture enabled routine operation by non-specialists in an actual telescope environment. On-sky spectroscopy results are presented with direct calibration achieved entirely using the astrocomb.

Spin polarization of 87Rb atoms with ultranarrow linewidth diode laser: Numerical simulation

In order to polarize 87Rb vapor effectively with ultranarrow linewidth diode laser, we studied the polarization as a function of some parameters including buffer gas pressure and laser power. Moreover, we also discussed the methods which split or modulate the diode laser frequency so as to pump the two ground hyperfine levels efficiently. We obtained some useful results through numerical simulation. If the buffer gas pressure is so high that the hyperfine structure is unresolved, the polarization is insensitive to laser frequency at peak absorption point so frequency splitting and frequency modulation methods do not show improvement. At low pressure and laser power large enough, where the hyperfine structure is clearly resolved, frequency splitting and frequency modulation methods can increase polarization effectively. For laser diodes, frequency modulation is easily realized with current modulation, so this method is attractive since it does not add any other components in the pumping laser system.

Universal gate-set for trapped-ion qubits using a narrow linewidth diode laser

We report on the implementation of a high fidelity universal gate-set on optical qubits based on trapped 88Sr+ ions for the purpose of quantum information processing. All coherent operations were performed using a narrow linewidth diode laser. We employed a master-slave configuration for the laser, where an ultra low expansion glass Fabry–Perot cavity is used as a stable reference as well as a spectral filter. We characterized the laser spectrum using the ions with a modified Ramsey sequence which eliminated the affect of the magnetic field noise. We demonstrated high fidelity single qubit gates with individual addressing, based on inhomogeneous micromotion, on a two-ion chain as well as the Mølmer–Sørensen two-qubit entangling gate.

High-energy, near- and mid-IR picosecond pulses generated by a fiber-MOPA-pumped optical parametric generator and amplifier.

We report a high-energy picosecond optical parametric generator/amplifier (OPG/A) based on a MgO:PPLN crystal pumped by a fiber master-oscillator-power-amplifier (MOPA) employing direct amplification. An OPG tuning range of 1450-3615 nm is demonstrated with pulse energies as high as 2.6 μJ (signal) and 1.2 μJ (idler). When seeded with a ~100 MHz linewidth diode laser, damage-limited pulse energies of 3.1 μJ (signal) and 1.3 μJ (idler) have been achieved and the signal pulse time-bandwidth product is improved to ~2 times transform-limited. When seeded with a 0.3 nm-bandwidth filtered amplified spontaneous emission source, crystal damage is avoided and maximum pulse energies of 3.8 μJ (signal) and 1.7 μJ (idler) are obtained at an overall conversion efficiency of 45%.

Low intensity noise and narrow line-width diode laser light at 540 nm

We present a convenient method to generate high quality single-frequency green light at a wavelength of 540 nm. It consists of a noise suppressed external cavity diode laser at a wavelength of 1080 nm by optical filtering and resonant optical feedback, and a frequency doubling of the fundamental light with an a-cut KTP crystal. Highly efficient conversion is realized by type II non-critical phase matching. A stable single-frequency operation with a maximum power of about 20 mW is performed for more than 3 h. Both the intensity noise and line-width reach the level of a monolithic nonplanar ring laser, which is well known for its extraordinarily narrow line-width and extremely low noise among available single-frequency operating lasers.

Rate constant and thermochemistry for K + O2 + N2 = KO2 + N2.

The addition reaction of potassium atoms with oxygen has been studied using the collinear photofragmentation and atomic absorption spectroscopy (CPFAAS) method. KCl vapor was photolyzed with 266 nm pulses and the absorbance by K atoms at 766.5 nm was measured at various delay times with a narrow line width diode laser. Experiments were carried out with O2/N2 mixtures at a total pressure of 1 bar, over 748-1323 K. At the lower temperatures single exponential decays of [K] yielded the third-order rate constant for addition, kR1, whereas at higher temperatures equilibration was observed in the form of double exponential decays of [K], which yielded both kR1 and the equilibrium constant for KO2 formation. kR1 can be summarized as 1.07 × 10(-30)(T/1000 K)(-0.733) cm(6) molecule(-2) s(-1). Combination with literature values leads to a recommended kR1 of 5.5 × 10(-26)T(-1.55) exp(-10/T) cm(6) molecule(-2) s(-1) over 250-1320 K, with an error limit of a factor of 1.5. A van't Hoff analysis constrained to fit the computed ΔS298 yields a K-O2 bond dissociation enthalpy of 184.2 ± 4.0 kJ mol(-1) at 298 K and ΔfH298(KO2) = -95.2 ± 4.1 kJ mol(-1). The corresponding D0 is 181.5 ± 4.0 kJ mol(-1). This value compares well with a CCSD(T) extrapolation to the complete basis set limit, with all electrons correlated, of 177.9 kJ mol(-1).

405 nm波段光栅外腔窄线宽蓝紫光半导体激光器

405 nm波段光栅外腔窄线宽蓝紫光半导体激光器

Narrow linewidth laser system realized by linewidth transfer using a fiber-based frequency comb for the magneto-optical trapping of strontium

A narrow linewidth diode laser system at 689 nm is realized by phase-locking an extended cavity diode laser to one tooth of a narrow linewidth optical frequency comb. The optical frequency comb is phase-locked to a narrow linewidth laser at 1064 nm, which is frequency stabilized to a high-finesse optical cavity. We demonstrate the magneto-optical trapping of Sr using an intercombination transition with the developed laser system.

Thermal calcium atom interferometer with a phase resolution of a few milliradians based on a narrow-linewidth diode laser

A symmetrical atom interferometer with a thermal calcium atom beam has been developed using a narrow linewidth diode laser stabilized to the resonance of a high-finesse cavity. The linewidth of the diode laser was estimated to be less than 1 Hz relative to the cavity resonance in noise measurement over the range of 100 Hz to 1 MHz, and the phase instability of the interference fringes obtained from the Allan deviation was improved to 2 mrad at an integration time of 300 s. Using this atom interferometer, the ac Stark phase shift between the ${}^{1}$${S}_{0}$ and ${}^{3}$${P}_{1}$ states of a Ca atom was measured as a function of a laser power near the resonance of the ${}^{1}{S}_{0}{\ensuremath{-}}^{1}\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}{P}_{1}$ transition at a wavelength of 423 nm. The decay rate of the ${}^{1}$${P}_{1}$ state was determined to be $\ensuremath{\gamma}=1.91(33)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}$ s${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.

High-fidelity state detection and tomography of a single-ion Zeeman qubit

We demonstrate high-fidelity Zeeman qubit state detection in a single trapped 88Sr+ ion. Qubit readout is performed by shelving one of the qubit states to a metastable level using a narrow linewidth diode laser at 674 nm, followed by state-selective fluorescence detection. The average fidelity reached for the readout of the qubit state is 0.9989(1). We then measure the fidelity of state tomography, averaged over all possible single-qubit states, which is 0.9979(2). We also fully characterize the detection process using quantum process tomography. This readout fidelity is compatible with recent estimates of the detection error threshold required for fault-tolerant computation, whereas high-fidelity state tomography opens the way for high-precision quantum process tomography.

Realization of Optical Phase Locked Loop at 9.2 GHz between Two Independent Diode Lasers

The optical-phase-locked-loop (OPLL) at 9.2 GHz between two independent narrow linewidth diode lasers is realized. Ultrabroad servo bandwidth at 4 MHz is first achieved and it is guaranteed that the full spectral characteristics of the master laser can be transferred to the slave laser. The experimental results prove that the coherence between two lasers is about 99%. This offers a new method to study the interaction between lasers and atoms based on the ground hyperfine structure of caesium atoms.

Subhertz linewidth diode lasers by stabilization to vibrationally and thermally compensated ultralow-expansion glass Fabry-Pérot cavities

We achieved a 0.5 Hz optical beat note linewidth with $\ensuremath{\sim}0.1\text{ }\text{Hz}/\text{s}$ frequency drift at 972 nm between two external cavity diode lasers independently stabilized to two vertically mounted Fabry-P\'erot (FP) reference cavities with a finesse of 400 000. Vertical FP reference cavities are suspended in midplane such that the influence of vertical vibrations to the mirror separation is significantly suppressed. This makes the setup virtually immune for vertical vibrations that are more difficult to isolate than horizontal vibrations. To compensate for thermal drifts the FP spacers are made from ultralow-expansion (ULE) glass which possesses a zero linear expansion coefficient. A design using Peltier elements in vacuum allows operation at an optimal temperature where the quadratic temperature expansion of ULE could be eliminated as well. The measured linear drift of such ULE FP cavity of 63 mHz/s was due to material aging and the residual frequency fluctuations were less than $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20\text{ }\text{Hz}$ during 16 h of measurement. Some part of the temperature-caused drift is attributed to the thermal expansion of the mirror coatings. Thermally induced fluctuations that cause vibrations of the mirror surfaces limit the stability of our cavity. By comparing two similar laser systems we obtain an Allan instability of $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}15}$ between 0.1 and 10 s averaging time, which is close to the theoretical thermal noise limit.

Frequency comb-referenced narrow line width diode laser system for coherent molecular spectroscopy

We analyze in detail the frequency noise properties of a grating enhanced external cavity diode laser (GEECDL). This system merges two diode laser concepts, the grating stabilized diode laser and the diode laser with resonant optical feedback, thus combining a large tuning range with an excellent short-term frequency stability. We compare the frequency noise spectrum of a GEECDL to that of a grating stabilized diode laser and demonstrate a 10-fold reduction of the frequency noise linear spectral density. The GEECDL is phase locked to a similar laser and to a fs-frequency comb with a servo loop providing an open-loop unity-gain frequency of only 237 kHz, which is a tenth of the bandwidth typically required for grating stabilized diode lasers. We achieve a residual rms phase error as small as 72 mrad (≈ 200 mrad) for stabilization to a similar laser (to the fs-frequency comb). We demonstrate that the novel diode laser can phase-coherently track a stable optical reference with an instability of 1.8×10-16 at 1 s. This laser system is well suited for applications that require phase locking to a low-power optical reference under noisy conditions. It may also be considered for the implementation of optical clock lasers.