Stabilization of optical phase/frequency of a laser system: application to a commercial dye laser with an external stabilizer

We present a comprehensive and quasi-tutorial review of the theory for analyzing the optical power spectrum of an optical field that has noise modulations of both the amplitude and the phase. We also present experimental results of the frequency stabilization of a commercial dye laser to a high-finesse Fabry–Perot cavity (0.49-Hz resulting full linewidth) and of the optical phase locking of the dye laser to a second reference laser (putting 97% of the optical power into the carrier) using an external stabilizer scheme. This external optical phase/frequency stabilization technique can be applied to virtually any cw laser system.

[1]  D. Middleton.  On the distribution of energy in noise- and signal-modulated waves I. Amplitute modulation , 1952 .

[2]  G. Bjorklund,et al.  Frequency-modulation spectroscopy: a new method for measuring weak absorptions and dispersions. , 1980, Optics letters.

[3]  J. Pinard,et al.  A new method for frequency calibration and control of a laser , 1975 .

[4]  M. Zhu,et al.  Prospects for using laser-prepared atomic fountains for optical frequency standards applications , 1989 .

[5]  G. Rempe,et al.  Measurement of ultralow losses in an optical interferometer. , 1992, Optics letters.

[6]  R. Pound,et al.  Electronic frequency stabilization of microwave oscillators. , 1946, The Review of scientific instruments.

[7]  P. Juncar,et al.  Instrument to measure wave numbers of cw and pulsed laser lines: The sigmameter , 1982 .

[8]  A. Schawlow,et al.  Saturation spectroscopy in molecular iodine by intermodulated fluorescence , 1972 .

[9]  D. Middleton,et al.  Some general results in the theory of noise through non-linear devices , 1948 .

[10]  T J Quinn.  News from the BIPM , 1989 .

[11]  Rajarshi Roy,et al.  Extracavity laser band-shape and bandwidth modification , 1982 .

[12]  John L. Hall,et al.  Laser stabilization at the millihertz level , 1988 .

[13]  N. Wiener.  Generalized harmonic analysis , 1930 .

[14]  J. Weisberg,et al.  Further experimental tests of relativistic gravity using the binary pulsar PSR 1913+16 , 1989 .

[15]  M. Davis,et al.  Millisecond Pulsar PSR 1937+21: A Highly Stable Clock , 1987, Science.

[16]  S. Rice.  Mathematical analysis of random noise , 1944 .

[17]  A. Khintchine.  Korrelationstheorie der stationären stochastischen Prozesse , 1934 .

[18]  J. H. Taylor,et al.  Measurements of general relativistic effects in the binary pulsar PSR1913 + 16 , 1979, Nature.

[19]  T. Hänsch,et al.  Laser frequency stabilization by polarization spectroscopy of a reflecting reference cavity , 1980 .

[20]  R. Rosenberg,et al.  Unconfined flowing-dye films for CW dye lasers , 1972 .

[21]  D. Backer,et al.  High-precision timing observations of the millisecond pulsar PSR1937 + 21 , 1985, Nature.

[22]  L. Mandel.  Carrier frequency and envelope of an electromagnetic wave , 1981 .

[23]  D. M. Bloom,et al.  100 GHz bandwidth planar GaAs Schottky photodiode , 1983 .

[24]  J. L. Hall,et al.  External dye-laser frequency stabilizer. , 1984, Optics letters.

[25]  Leo W. Hollberg,et al.  Optical heterodyne saturation spectroscopy , 1981 .

[26]  Blatt,et al.  Population trapping in excited Yb ions. , 1989, Physical review letters.

[27]  John L. Hall,et al.  Response of a Fabry-Perot cavity to phase modulated light , 1987 .

[28]  D. Middleton,et al.  LXXI. The distribution of energy in randomly modulated waves , 1951 .

[29]  John L. Hall,et al.  Laser phase and frequency stabilization using an optical resonator , 1983 .