Metastable Magnesium fluorescence spectroscopy using a frequency-stabilized 517 nm laser

Area of Science:

• Atomic Physics
• Laser Technology
• Quantum Optics

Background:

• Magnesium atoms are essential for advanced atomic clock development.
• Stable, specific wavelength lasers are required for laser cooling and high-precision atomic spectroscopy.
• Existing laser systems may not meet the specific requirements for magnesium atom manipulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a stable 517 nm laser source for magnesium laser-cooling and atomic clock applications.
• To achieve efficient frequency doubling for generating the desired 517 nm wavelength.
• To demonstrate a method for stabilizing the laser frequency.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a two-stage Ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier (YDFA) system to amplify a diode laser to 1.5 W at 1034 nm.
• Employed a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide for single-pass frequency doubling.
• Proposed using fluorescence spectroscopy of metastable magnesium atoms for laser frequency stabilization.

Main Results:

• Generated over 1.5 W of 1034 nm light using the YDFA system.
• Achieved more than 40 mW of output power at 517 nm via frequency doubling.
• Demonstrated the potential for stabilizing the 517 nm laser to within 1 MHz absolute frequency.

Conclusions:

• Successfully developed a 517 nm laser source suitable for magnesium laser-cooling and atomic clock projects.
• The frequency-doubling technique using PPLN waveguides is effective for generating the target wavelength.
• The proposed stabilization method using atomic fluorescence offers a pathway to high-precision frequency control.