Optimizing a Highly Stable Diode Laser for Spectroscopy and Atom Trapping John E. Sohl Caleb Z....
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Transcript of Optimizing a Highly Stable Diode Laser for Spectroscopy and Atom Trapping John E. Sohl Caleb Z....
Optimizing a Highly Optimizing a Highly Stable Diode Laser for Stable Diode Laser for
Spectroscopy and Atom Spectroscopy and Atom TrappingTrapping
John E. SohlJohn E. Sohl
Caleb Z. TrammellCaleb Z. Trammell
Weber State UniversityWeber State University
Ogden, UTOgden, UT
OverviewOverview
Brief HistoryBrief History
What is an ECDL?What is an ECDL?
Carl Wieman’s ECDL designCarl Wieman’s ECDL design
Other ECDL designsOther ECDL designs
Our ECDL designOur ECDL design
Results and current statusResults and current status
HistoryHistoryCarl Wieman’s group, AJP papers:Carl Wieman’s group, AJP papers: 1992: A narrow-band tunable diode laser 1992: A narrow-band tunable diode laser
system with grating feedback, and a saturated system with grating feedback, and a saturated absorption spectrometer for Cs and Rb.absorption spectrometer for Cs and Rb.
1995: Inexpensive laser cooling and trapping 1995: Inexpensive laser cooling and trapping experiment for undergraduate laboratories.experiment for undergraduate laboratories.
Nobel Prizes:Nobel Prizes: 1997: Laser trapping1997: Laser trapping 2001: BEC2001: BEC
1999: NSF workshops1999: NSF workshops
Current StatusCurrent Status
Numerous papers on improved laser Numerous papers on improved laser design since ~1999.design since ~1999.
Moderate number of undergraduate Moderate number of undergraduate laboratories doing saturated absorption.laboratories doing saturated absorption.
A few doing atomic trapping.A few doing atomic trapping.
Why? Not Easy and Laser StabilityWhy? Not Easy and Laser Stability
Goal: Wavelength StabilityGoal: Wavelength Stability
These issues have been covered in our other These issues have been covered in our other paper today.paper today.
Cavity size (mode spacing and Cavity size (mode spacing and oror))
Thermal mass and stabilityThermal mass and stability
Ease of construction and operationEase of construction and operation
nL
mcm 2
Laser DesignLaser Design
Extended Cavity Extended Cavity Diode Laser – Diode Laser – ECDLECDL
Feedback from the Feedback from the diffraction grating diffraction grating (G) forces the (G) forces the wavelength to a wavelength to a specific value.specific value.
Our DesignOur Design
SimpleSimple
Easy to align and Easy to align and assembleassemble
Easy to buildEasy to build
InexpensiveInexpensive
Low thermal massLow thermal mass
Short cavityShort cavity
Results and Current StatusResults and Current Status
Laser has been built and is being tested.Laser has been built and is being tested.
Earlier modifications have resulted in Earlier modifications have resulted in frequency stability of ~300 kHz (<1 part in frequency stability of ~300 kHz (<1 part in ~10~1088) for several hours at a time. (Wieman ) for several hours at a time. (Wieman got 3.5 seconds.)got 3.5 seconds.)
Expecting factor of 3 improvement with Expecting factor of 3 improvement with new design. new design.
Should be operational in 2-3 days.Should be operational in 2-3 days.