Sub-kHz-linewidth VECSELs for cold atom experiments

Moriya, Paulo Hisao and Singh, Yeshpal and Bongs, Kai and Hastie, Jennifer E. (2020) Sub-kHz-linewidth VECSELs for cold atom experiments. Optics Express, 28 (11). pp. 15943-15953. ISSN 1094-4087 (https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.390982)

[thumbnail of Moriya-etal-OE-2020-Sub-kHz-linewidth-VECSELs-for-cold-atom-experiments]
Preview
Text. Filename: Moriya_etal_OE_2020_Sub_kHz_linewidth_VECSELs_for_cold_atom_experiments.pdf
Final Published Version
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 logo

Download (1MB)| Preview

Abstract

We report and characterize sub-kHz linewidth operation of an AlGaInP-based VECSEL system suitable for addressing the narrow cooling transition of neutral strontium atoms at 689 nm. When frequency-stabilized to a standard air-spaced Fabry-Perot cavity (finesse 1000) via the Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) technique, it delivers output power >150 mW in a circularly-symmetric single transverse mode with low frequency and intensity noise. The optical field was reconstructed from the frequency noise error signal via autocorrelation and the Wiener-Khintchine theorem, leading to an estimated linewidth of (125±2) Hz. Optical beat note measurements were performed against a commercial locked laser system and a second, almost identical, VECSEL system resulting in linewidths of 200 Hz and 160 Hz FWHM, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a VECSEL compatible with the narrowest of lines (few hundred Hz) used for cooling and trapping atoms and ions.

ORCID iDs

Moriya, Paulo Hisao ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6761-191X, Singh, Yeshpal, Bongs, Kai and Hastie, Jennifer E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4066-7411;