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Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics
Published on: April 24, 2014
Absolute interferometry with a 670-nm external cavity diode laser
J A Stone1, A Stejskal, L Howard
1Engineering Metrology Group, Division of Precision Engineering, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Stop 8211, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8211, USA. jack.stone@nist.gov
Applied Optics
|March 8, 2008
Summary
External cavity diode lasers offer precise absolute distance measurements. Wavelength sweeping techniques can achieve sub-micrometer uncertainty, but environmental factors significantly impact real-world accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Metrology
- Laser Technology
Background:
- Tunable diode lasers are increasingly utilized for absolute interferometry.
- External cavity diode lasers (ECDLs) offer potential for high-precision distance measurements.
- Wavelength sweeping is a key technique in absolute interferometry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of a visible-wavelength ECDL for absolute distance measurements.
- To analyze uncertainty sources in wavelength-sweeping absolute interferometry.
- To discuss methods for minimizing errors in these measurements.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an external cavity diode laser operating at approximately 670 nm.
- Performed absolute distance measurements over a 5-meter range under laboratory conditions.
- Analyzed primary sources of uncertainty affecting wavelength-sweeping interferometry.
Main Results:
- Achieved better than 1-micrometer standard uncertainty in laboratory distance measurements.
- Identified that environmental conditions significantly increase uncertainty in shop-floor measurements.
- Observed that errors normally relevant at the nanometer level become significant at the micrometer level with this technique.
Conclusions:
- ECDLs with wavelength sweeping are effective for absolute distance measurements.
- Minimizing environmental influences is crucial for achieving high accuracy in practical applications.
- Understanding and mitigating error sources is essential for reliable micrometer-level measurements.
