Low-cost external cavity diode laser for cold atom experiments

Abstract

In this article, the construction of an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) with the wavelength selection and stabilization given by an interference filter in a cateye reflector mirror type instead of using a common grating Littrow configuration is described. We show that our ECDL can be locked for several hours to a given frequency with the broad temperature variation of about 0.2-0.4 °C. A rubidium saturated absorption spectroscopy was used to check our ECDL with the D2 hyperfine transitions. Our low-cost and stabilized ECDL can be used for cold atom experiments as well as in quantum and atom optics applications.

Development of a 483 nm external cavity diode laser with cat-eye reflector

“…These include the Littrow and Littman-Metcalf configurations that use diffraction gratings as frequency-selective components [12], the Sagnac configuration associated with a tunable Sagnac loop reflector [13], and a fiber Bragg grating feedback setup [14]. Another design involves a cat-eye reflector configuration with an interference filter [15,16]. Recent developments in the field have demonstrated a laser system operating within the blue color wavelength range.…”