Influence of grating parameters on the linewidths of external-cavity diode lasers.
We investigate experimentally the influence of the grating reflectivity, grating resolution, and diode facet antireflection (AR) coating on the intrinsic linewidth of an external-cavity diode laser built with a diffraction grating in a Littrow configuration. Grating lasers at 399, 780, and 852 nm are determined to have typical linewidths between 250 and 600 kHz from measurements of their frequency noise power spectral densities. The linewidths are little affected by the presence of an AR coating on the diode facet but narrow as the grating reflectivity and grating resolution are increased, with the resolution exerting a greater effect. We also use frequency noise measurements to characterize a laser mount with improved mechanical stability.
Loh
Huanqian
H
Department of Physics, MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA 02139, USA. huanqian@alum.mit.edu
Lin
Yu-Ju
YJ
Teper
Igor
I
Cetina
Marko
M
Simon
Jonathan
J
Thompson
James K
JK
Vuletić
Vladan
V