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Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics
Published on: April 24, 2014
2 μm semiconductor disk laser with a heterodyne linewidth below 10 kHz
Benno Rösener1, Sebastian Kaspar, Marcel Rattunde
1Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Festkörperphysik, Freiburg, Germany.
Optics Letters
|September 21, 2011
Summary
We developed a 2 μm semiconductor disk laser with a narrow linewidth below 10 kHz. Active frequency stabilization further reduced the linewidth to 9 kHz, demonstrating precise laser performance.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Semiconductor Lasers
- Laser Spectroscopy
Background:
- Semiconductor disk lasers (SDLs) are crucial for various applications.
- Achieving narrow linewidths in SDLs is essential for high-resolution spectroscopy and metrology.
- Previous research has focused on improving the coherence properties of SDLs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a 2 μm semiconductor disk laser with a single longitudinal mode emission.
- To achieve and precisely measure a narrow laser linewidth.
- To investigate the effect of active frequency stabilization on laser linewidth.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a 2 μm semiconductor disk laser.
- Utilized a heterodyne detection scheme for linewidth measurement.
- Employed a Fabry-Perot interferometer with a feedback loop for frequency stabilization.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated single longitudinal mode emission from the 2 μm SDL.
- Measured an intrinsic linewidth of 45 kHz at 100 mW output power without stabilization.
- Achieved a further reduced linewidth of 9 kHz with active frequency stabilization.
Conclusions:
- The 2 μm semiconductor disk laser exhibits excellent coherence properties.
- Active frequency stabilization significantly enhances the laser's spectral purity.
- This laser technology holds promise for applications requiring narrow linewidth sources.
