Erlangen 2018 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 62: Poster: Quantum Optics and Photonics V

Q 62.81: Poster

Thursday, March 8, 2018, 16:15–18:15, Redoutensaal

Continuously frequency-tunable diode laser phase locked to an optical frequency comb — •Maximilian Ammenwerth, Lukas Ahlheit, Wolfgang Alt, Deepak Pandey, and Dieter Meschede — Institut für Angewandte Physik, Wegelerstr. 8, D-53115 Bonn

We demonstrate a locking scheme of a diode laser to the spectrum of an optical frequency comb that allows for continuous frequency tuning of the phase locked laser. The heterodyne beat of a comb line and the laser operating at 770 nm is compared to a reference signal from a direct digital synthesizer using a phase-frequency discriminator. The output of this phase-sensitive comparison serves as error signal that is used for applying feedback to laser current and piezo. We compare different scanning schemes that make use of an acousto-optical modulator to scan continuously over comb lines [1,2]. In order to tune the laser frequency over multiple comb lines, fast jumps of the lock point are required. These jumps are analyzed in detail and the phase stability during this process is quantified. We show an application as a complete optical frequency synthesizer based on a microcontroller that allows for setting the optical frequency via an analog voltage or a command line interface.

[1] Will Gunton, Mariusz Semczuk, and Kirk W. Madison. Method for independent and continuous tuning of n lasers phase-locked to the same frequency comb. Optics Letters, 40(18):4372, sep 2015.

[2] John D. Jost, John L. Hall, and Jun Ye. Continuously tunable, precise, single frequency optical signal generator. Opt. Express, 10(12):515-520, Jun 2002.