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Updated: Jul 8, 2025

Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics

Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics

Published on: April 24, 2014

Low-drift-rate external cavity diode laser.

Eddie H Chang¹, Jared Rivera¹, Brian Bostwick¹

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.

The Review of Scientific Instruments

|December 11, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

We developed a low-cost external cavity diode laser with a frequency drift of 1.4 MHz/h. This stable laser performance is achieved using a compact aluminum structure within a temperature-controlled enclosure.

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Area of Science:

Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
Laser Physics and Technology

Background:

Diode lasers are crucial for various applications but often suffer from frequency instability.
External cavity diode lasers (ECDLs) offer improved frequency stability over standard diode lasers.
Minimizing frequency drift is essential for high-precision spectroscopic and interferometric measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

To design, construct, and simulate a simple, low-cost external cavity diode laser.
To achieve a low free-running frequency drift rate at 852 nm.
To investigate the factors limiting laser frequency stability.

Main Methods:

Construction of a compact aluminum external cavity diode laser.
Implementation within an airtight, temperature-controlled enclosure.
Thermal finite element method (FEM) simulations to analyze temperature gradients.
Measurement of the free-running frequency drift rate.

Main Results:

Achieved a measured free-running frequency drift rate of 1.4(1) MHz/h at 852 nm.
Demonstrated that a compact aluminum structure and a stable temperature environment minimize thermal gradients.
FEM simulations quantified the impact of temperature gradients on laser drift.

Conclusions:

The developed external cavity diode laser offers a low-cost solution for stable laser light.
The primary limitations to frequency drift appear to be laser-diode and piezo-aging.
The design effectively minimizes thermal effects, paving the way for further stability improvements.