Tapered-amplified antireflection-coated laser diodes for potassium and rubidium atomic-physics experiments

Abstract

We present a system of room-temperature extended-cavity grating-diode lasers (ECDL) for production of light in the range 760-790nm. The extension of the tuning range towards the blue is permitted by the weak feedback in the cavity: the diodes are anti-reflection coated, and the grating has just 10% reflectance. The light is then amplified using semiconductor tapered amplifiers to give more than 400mW of power. The outputs are shown to be suitable for atomic physics experiments with potassium (767nm), rubidium (780nm) or both, of particular relevance to doubly-degenerate boson-fermion mixtures.

Micro-integrated extended cavity diode lasers for precision potassium spectroscopy in space

“…Today precision quantum optics applications in space or in a micro-gravity environment [11] require not only a laser system with good electro-optical performance such as an excellent short-term frequency stability of a few kHz or a wide continuous frequency tuning range but also a very compact design which provides reliable mechanical and thermal stability. Extended cavity diode lasers (ECDLs) [12][13][14][15] are very well suited for different fields of applications for their excellent spectral stability, however they typically lag mechanical stability and reliability because of their complex mechanical structure. This issue has recently been resolved by the realization of a micro-integrated rubidium ECDL (Rb-ECDL) [16] for precision quantum optics experiments in space.…”

Measurement of a Wavelength of Light for Which the Energy Shift for an Atom Vanishes

“…We generated 2 W of laser light using a MOPA system [22,23]. We used a Littrow ECDL with wavelengthdependent pointing compensation [24] to keep the seed light well-coupled into a tapered amplifier over a 5 nm tuning range.…”

I.C.E.: a transportable atomic inertial sensor for test in microgravity

“…[10]. All of the lasers and optical amplifiers for trapping and cooling light are built around commercial semiconductor elements (Eagleyard ) with home-made mounts and drive electronics.…”