External Cavity Diode Laser Research Articles

780 nm Narrow Linewidth External Cavity Diode Laser for Quantum Sensing.

To meet the demands of laser communication, quantum precision measurement, cold atom technology, and other fields for narrow linewidth and low-noise light sources, an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) operating in the wavelength range around 780 nm was set up with a Fabry-Pérot etalon (F-P) and an interference filter (IF) in the experiment. The interference filter type ECDL (IF-ECDL) with butterfly-style packaging configuration has continuous wavelength tuning within a specified range through precise temperature and current control and has excellent single-mode characteristics. Experimental results indicate that the output power of the IF-ECDL is 14 mW, with a side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of 54 dB, a temperature-controlled mode-hop-free tuning range of 527 GHz (1.068 nm), and an output linewidth of 570 Hz. Compared to traditional lasers operating at 780 nm, the IF-ECDL exhibits narrower linewidth, lower noise, and higher spectral purity, and its dimensions are merely 25 × 15 × 8.5 mm3 weighing only 19.8 g, showcasing remarkable miniaturization and lightweight advantages over similar products in current research fields.

External-cavity diode laser at 2.6 µm and its frequency stabilization with a scanning Fabry-Pérot cavity

We report on the construction of an external cavity diode laser at 2.6 µm wavelength and its frequency stabilization with an external scanning Fabry-Pérot cavity using Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) frequency stabilization technique. We discuss the frequency noise characteristics of the laser using the PDH residual error signal analysis and the locking performance. We have achieved a 2.5 x 105 suppression factor in the frequency noise power spectral density at Fourier frequencies lower than 100 Hz when the laser is stabilized. The laser is employed to observe resonant excitation on the 5s5p3P0 →5s4d3D1 transition in cold 88Sr atoms trapped in a magneto-optical trap. We have observed an enhancement in the trapped atom number by a factor of 8.3 compared to the case when a single laser at 707 nm is employed for repumping.

Coarsely scannable comb-locked ECDL with fixed local oscillator for CRDS measurement of CO line strength.

This study introduces a simplified method for scanning the optical frequency of an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) locked to an optical frequency comb (OFC) with a repetition rate of 250 MHz. Previous techniques have often been intricate, especially when dealing with a task of comb-mode hopping. In contrast, our method simplifies the mode-hoping method by tuning the piezoelectric transducer (PZT) at a rate of frep/2, while keeping the diode current locked to a fixed-frequency local oscillator (LO) at frep/4. This approach provides a reasonable sampling interval suitable for spectroscopic measurements of gas lines, typically spanning a few gigahertz. Our demonstration effectively improved the noise level of the ringdown traces in cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS), even when using a passively stabilized optical cavity. Additionally, we report the line strength of the 12C16O R23 line, yielding results that closely align with previous research studies.

Mode-hop-free synchronous tuning range extension of an uncoated external cavity diode laser based on PZT hysteresis characteristic compensation

Mode-hop-free synchronous tuning range extension of an uncoated external cavity diode laser based on PZT hysteresis characteristic compensation

Sub-20 kHz low-frequency noise near ultraviolet butt-coupled fiber Bragg grating external cavity laser diode

We present a butt-coupled InGaN fiber Bragg grating (FBG) semiconductor laser diode operating below 400 nm in the single-mode emission regime. This compact coherent laser source exhibits an intrinsic linewidth of 14 kHz in the near-UV range and a side-mode suppression ratio reaching up to 40 dB accompanied by almost 2 mW output power. Furthermore, the properties of the FBG, including its central wavelength, bandwidth, and reflectivity, can be readily customized to fulfill specific requirements. As a result, the small footprint design of this laser is compatible with integration into a standard butterfly package to ease the lab-to-market technology transfer. The combination of low-frequency noise and fibered output signal positions these FBG laser systems as strong candidates for hybridization with integrated photonic platforms tailored for quantum information processing and metrology.

High-power and ultra-wide-tunable fiber-type external-cavity diode lasers

High-power and wide-tunable fiber-type external-cavity diode lasers (FTECDLs) are of pivotal importance across various scientific and practical applications, such as polarization lidar, communication, sensing, and spectroscopy. As the output power and tuning characteristics are currently much lower than the saturation power and bandwidth of semiconductor gain media, further improvements conventionally require additional gain media in parallel and external amplifiers, resulting in lower energy efficiency and complex configurations. This study implemented energy manipulation in FTECDLs with a single gain medium, overcoming the mutual restriction between low damage threshold and laser output power. This approach makes it possible to completely exploit the intrinsic performance of the semiconductor gain medium. We demonstrated various FTECDL designs, achieving a maximum tuning range of 226.8 nm, maximum output power of 160 mW, and maximum optical signal-to-noise ratio of 86.3 dB with different configurations. These results are the highest levels ever achieved for E, S, C, L, and U bands. Additionally, the achieved polarization extinction ratio of nearly 38 dB has not been previously reported. Our work provides significant guidance for the design of traveling wave ring cavity (TWRC) lasers, including free-space light semiconductor and solid-state lasers with a TWRC.

Measurement of transition frequencies and hyperfine constants of molecular iodine at 520.2 nm

We measured the transition frequencies of the hyperfine components in the four lines (P(34) 39-0, R(36) 39-0, P(33) 39-0, and R(35) 39-0) of the B-X transitions of molecular iodine at 520.2 nm. The 520.2 nm laser was generated by wavelength-converting the output of a 1560.6 nm external-cavity diode laser using a dual-pitch periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide. The frequencies were measured by counting the heterodyne beats between the laser stabilized at the frequencies of the hyperfine components and a frequency comb synchronized with a hydrogen maser. We determined the transition frequencies of the a1 components with relative uncertainties of 1×10−11; the uncertainty was limited by the impurity of the molecular iodine in the cell. From the measured hyperfine splitting frequencies, we calculated the hyperfine constants of these four transitions to obtain the rotational dependence of the excited-state hyperfine constants.

Rapid mode hopping identification and suppression for external-cavity diode lasers based on frequency scanning interferometry

Rapid mode hopping identification and suppression for external-cavity diode lasers based on frequency scanning interferometry

Ultra-low frequency noise external cavity diode laser systems for quantum applications.

We present two distinct ultra-low frequency noise lasers at 729 nm with a fast frequency noise of 30 Hz2/Hz, corresponding to a Lorentzian linewidth of 0.1 kHz. The characteristics of both lasers, which are based on different types of laser diodes, are investigated using experimental and theoretical analysis with a focus on identifying the advantages and disadvantages of each type of system. Specifically, we study the differences and similarities in mode behavior while tuning frequency noise and linewidth reduction. Furthermore, we demonstrate the locking capability of these systems on medium-finesse cavities. The results provide insights into the unique operational characteristics of these ultra-low noise lasers and their potential applications in quantum technology that require high levels of control fidelity.

Longitudinal Mode Number Estimation of External Cavity Diode Laser Using Dual Periodic Grating for Optical Profiler System.

The concept of an optical profiler based on optical resonance was proposed, highlighting the initial requirements for mode number estimation. We proposed a method for estimating the longitudinal mode number of a laser propagating in an external cavity diode laser with high accuracy, utilizing dual-periodic diffraction gratings. These gratings were fabricated using interference lithography. To estimate the mode number, the wavelengths of two different modes are compared. Therefore, the greater the difference between the wavelengths, the higher the accuracy of the mode number determination. While the mode number difference was approximately 35 when using a conventional diffraction grating, this could be increased by a factor of 20 to around 700 using the dual-periodic grating. The relative accuracy achieved was 1.4 × 10-5.

Thermal-noise-limited ultra-stable laser operated at 698 nm

Ultra-stable lasers are indispensable in high precision measurements. Here we demonstrate an ultra-stable laser system that reaches the thermal noise limit of the optical cavity for the 698 nm clock transition laser of strontium atomic optical clock. This is achieved by locking the frequency of the external-cavity diode laser (ECDL) to a full ULE optical cavity with a length of 10 cm. By suppressing noise such as temperature disturbance, vibration, residual amplitude modulation (RAM), and fiber phase noise, the measured laser linewidth is less than 0.9 Hz. After subtracting the linear drift of 60 mHz/s, the frequency instability of the beat signal reaches 1.2 × 10−15 at 1 s averaging time, which is close to the thermal noise limit of the optical cavity.

Phase tracking using a Kalman filter based on probability density distribution in frequency-scanning interferometry

Frequency-scanning interferometry (FSI) utilizing external cavity diode lasers (ECDL) stands out as a potent technique for absolute distance measurement. Nevertheless, the inherent scanning nonlinearity of ECDL and phase noise pose a challenge, as it can compromise the accuracy of phase extraction from interference signals, thereby reducing the measurement accuracy of FSI. In this study, we propose a composite algorithm aimed at mitigating non-orthogonal errors by integrating the least-squares and Heydemann correction technique. Furthermore, we employ Kalman filtering for precise phase tracking. We introduce a parameter selection strategy based on the statistical distribution of instantaneous frequency to achieve the fusion estimation of phase observation values and theoretical models, which starts a new perspective for the application of multi-dimensional data fusion in FSI measurement. Through simulation and experimental validation, the efficacy of this approach is confirmed. The experimental results show promising outcomes: with an average phase error of 0.12%, a standard deviation of less than 1.7 µm in absolute distance measurement, and an average positioning accuracy error of 0.29 µm.

Long term frequency stabilization and frequency drift suppression of the 313 nm laser

A 313 nm ultraviolet (UV) laser is stabilized through the Pound–Drever–Hall method, and its frequency drift is suppressed by a remote frequency drift correction system. The 313 nm laser is generated through an external cavity diode laser at 1252 nm and two cascaded second harmonic generation (SHG) stages. By locking the 626 nm from the first SHG stage to an ULE cavity and evaluating the beat signal between the 626 nm laser and an optical frequency comb, the 313 nm laser frequency instabilities of 1.80 ×10−12 at 1 s and 4.70 ×10−14 at 64 s averaging time are obtained. With the remote frequency drift correction system, the frequency drift of 313 nm laser is reduced to 0.02 (6) kHz/h. Individual ions in a beryllium Coulomb crystal cooled by the stable 313 nm laser are identified within the 240 s.

Research on the Frequency Stabilization System of an External Cavity Diode Laser Based on Rubidium Atomic Modulation Transfer Spectroscopy Technology

To achieve high-frequency stability on the external cavity diode laser (ECDL), a 780 nm ECDL serves as the seed light source, and its frequency is precisely locked to the saturated absorption peak of rubidium (Rb) atoms using modulation transfer spectroscopy (MTS) technology. For improving the performance of frequency locking, the scheme is designed to find the optimal operating conditions. Correlations between the frequency discrimination signal (FDS) and critical parameters, such as the temperature of the Rb cell, the power ratio of the probe and pump light, and the frequency and amplitude of the modulation and demodulation signals, are observed to attain the optimal conditions for frequency locking. To evaluate the performance of the frequency-stabilized 780 nm ECDL, a dual-beam heterodyne setup was constructed. Through this arrangement, the laser linewidth, approximately 65.4 kHz, is measured. Then, the frequency stability of the laser, quantified as low as 4.886 × 10−12 @32 s, is determined by measuring the beat-frequency signal with a frequency counter and calculating the Allan variance. Furthermore, using the realized frequency locking technology, the 780 nm ECDL can achieve long-term stabilization even after 25 h. The test results show the exceptional performance of the implemented frequency stabilization system for the 780 nm ECDL.

Optical pumping of 5s4d1D2 strontium atoms for laser cooling and imaging

We present a faster repumping scheme for strontium magneto-optical traps operating on the broad 5s21S0−5s5p1P1 laser cooling transition. Contrary to existing repumping schemes, we directly address lost atoms that spontaneously decayed to the 5s4d1D2 state, sending them back into the laser cooling cycle by optical pumping on the 5s4d1D2−5s8p1P1 transition. We thus avoid the ∼100µs-slow decay path from 5s4d1D2 to the 5s5p3P1,2 states that is part of other repumping schemes. Using one low-cost external-cavity diode laser emitting at 448nm, we show our scheme increases the flux out of a 2D magneto-optical trap by 60% compared to without repumping. Furthermore, we perform spectroscopy on the 5s4d1D2−5s8p1P1 transition and measure its frequency νSr88=(668917515.3±4.0±25)MHz. We also measure the frequency shifts between the four stable isotopes of strontium and infer the specific mass and field shift factors, δνSMS88,86=−267(45)MHz and δνFS88,86=2(42)MHz. Finally, we measure the hyperfine splitting of the 5s8p1P1 state in fermionic strontium and deduce the magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole coupling coefficients A=−4(5)MHz and B=5(35)MHz. Our experimental demonstration shows that this simple and very fast scheme could improve the laser cooling and imaging performance of cold strontium atom devices, such as quantum computers based on strontium atoms in arrays of optical tweezers. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Advances in narrow linewidth and wide tuning range external-cavity wavelength-swept lasers

An external-cavity wavelength-swept laser, characterized by its exceptional temporal coherence and extensive tuning range, serves as a crucial light source for cutting-edge fields such as fiber sensing, lidar, and spectroscopy. The burgeoning growth of optical communication technology has escalated the demand for lasers with narrow linewidth and broad tuning range, thereby catalyzing the swift advancement of external-cavity wavelength-swept diode lasers and their diverse applications. This article comprehensively presents the configurations and operating principles of these lasers, and provides an in-depth review of their development status, specifically focusing on those with narrow linewidth and wide tuning range. The aim is to offer a valuable reference for researchers involved in the development and application of wavelength-swept lasers.

Precision spectroscopy of iodine absorption lines near the 1S0-3P2 transition of Yb atoms at 507 nm

We performed Doppler-free spectroscopy on the P(40)52-0 and P(52)53-0 lines of molecular iodine (127I2) near the 1S0-3P2 metastable transition of Yb at 507 nm. The frequency instability of an external-cavity diode laser locked to the observed hyperfine transitions of the 127I2 lines reached a level below 1.0 × 10−12, at the average time τ of the measurement of >10 s. The absolute frequency of the laser locked to the hyperfine transitions was measured with an uncertainty of 8 kHz (fractionally 1.4 × 10−11) using an optical frequency comb. The hyperfine transition intervals were fitted to a four-term Hamiltonian to validate the measurements and calculate the hyperfine constants of the iodine lines. The observed 30 hyperfine transitions of the P(40)52-0 and P(52)53-0 lines of 127I2 can be used as optical frequency references to investigate the 1S0-3P2 transition of Yb atoms.

Silicon photonics hybrid wavelength tunable laser diode using curved directional couplers with 145 nm tunable range

The expansion of the wavelength tunable range of wavelength tunable laser diodes is required in optical communication and sensing. Curved directional couplers (DCs) exhibit smaller power coupling efficiency fluctuations than conventional straight DCs, which reduces the wavelength sensitivity of double-ring wavelength filters. In this study, we fabricated a hybrid wavelength tunable laser diode comprising curved DCs with an improved design. This laser diode had a wavelength tunable range of 145.2 nm, which is the broadest tunable range as an external-cavity laser diode with silicon waveguides.

A versatile apparatus for simultaneous trapping of multiple species of ultracold atoms and ions to enable studies of low energy collisions and cold chemistry.

We describe an apparatus where many species of ultracold atoms can be simultaneously trapped and overlapped with many species of ions in a Paul trap. Several design innovations are made to increase the versatility of the apparatus while keeping the size and cost reasonable. We demonstrate the operation of a three-dimensional (3D) magneto-optical trap (MOT) of 7Li using a single external cavity diode laser. The 7Li MOT is loaded from an atomic beam, with atoms slowed using a Zeeman slower designed to work simultaneously for Li and Sr. The operation of a 3D MOT of 133Cs, loaded from a 2D MOT, is demonstrated, and provisions for MOTs of Rb and K in the same vacuum manifold exist. We demonstrate the trapping of 7Li+ and 133Cs+ at different settings of the Paul trap and their detection using an integrated time-of-flight mass spectrometer. We present results on low energy neutral-neutral collisions (133Cs-133Cs, 7Li-7Li, and 133Cs-7Li collisions) and charge-neutral collisions (133Cs+-133Cs and 7Li+-7Li collisions). We show evidence of sympathetic cooling of 7Li+ (133Cs+) due to collisions with the ultracold 7Li (133Cs).

Study on Linewidth and Phase Noise Characteristics of a Narrow Linewidth External Cavity Diode Laser.

In the field of inter-satellite laser communication, achieving high-quality communication and compensating for the Doppler frequency shift caused by relative motion necessitate lasers with narrow linewidths, low phase noise, and the ability to achieve mode-hop-free tuning within a specific range. To this end, this paper investigates a novel external cavity diode laser (ECDL) with a frequency-selective F-P etalon structure, leveraging the external cavity F-P etalon structure in conjunction with an auxiliary filter to achieve single longitudinal mode selection. The laser undergoes linewidth testing using a delayed self-heterodyne beating method, followed by the testing of its phase noise and frequency noise characteristics using a noise analyzer, yielding beat spectra and noise power spectral density profiles. Furthermore, the paper introduces an innovative bidirectional temperature-scanning laser method to achieve optimal laser-operating point selection and mode-hop-free tuning. The experimental results showcase that the single longitudinal mode spectral side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) is around 70 dB, and the output power exceeds 10 mW. Enhancing the precision of the F-P etalon leads to a more pronounced suppression of low-frequency phase noise, reducing the Lorentzian linewidth from the initial 10 kHz level to a remarkable 5 kHz level. The bidirectional temperature-scanning laser method not only allows for the selection of the optimal operating point but also enables mode-hop-free tuning within 160 pm.