Hannover 2013 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 58: Precision measurements and metrology V

Q 58.5: Talk

Friday, March 22, 2013, 12:00–12:15, E 001

An optical feedback frequency stabilized laser tuned by single-sideband modulation — •Johannes Burkart and Samir Kassi — Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique (LIPhy), UMR5588 CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier Grenoble, 38402 Saint Martin d'Hères, France

Stable, narrow and tunable laser sources are indispensable for molecular lineshape metrology.

Our novel approach consists in stabilizing a distributed feedback diode laser to an ultrastable V-shaped reference cavity by optical feedback self-locking. This limits the laser's frequency drifts to the order of a few hertz per second and reduces its linewidth by several orders of magnitude.

The second key innovation consists in shifting the laser frequency with millihertz precision using an integrated electro-optic Mach-Zehnder modulator. By successive laser locking to adjacent reference cavity modes this technique allows continuous frequency tuning over more than one terahertz.

Combined with cavity ring-down spectroscopy, this new setup will pave the way to an accurate determination of the Boltzmann constant as well as optical precision measurements of isotopic ratios for atmospheric and climate sciences.