Broadband serrodyne phase modulation for optical frequency standards and spectral purity transfer

Area of Science:

• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Metrology and Measurement Science

Background:

• Accurate optical frequency control is crucial for advanced scientific applications.
• Transferring spectral purity between lasers with different wavelengths presents a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a low phase noise serrodyne modulation technique for optical frequency control.
• To establish a reliable method for spectral purity transfer between ultrastable lasers.
• To demonstrate phase locking of a 698 nm laser to a 1156 nm laser using a frequency comb.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of serrodyne modulation efficiency and bandwidth.
• Development of a novel composite self-heterodyne interferometer to estimate phase noise.
• Utilizing a frequency comb as a transfer oscillator for laser phase locking.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated low phase noise and efficient serrodyne modulation.
• Quantified phase noise introduced by the modulation setup.
• Successfully phase locked a 698 nm ultrastable laser to a 1156 nm ultrastable laser.

Conclusions:

• Serrodyne modulation is an effective technique for optical frequency control and spectral purity transfer.
• The developed method provides a reliable tool for establishing ultrastable optical frequency standards.