title: 2.1-watts intracavity-frequency-doubled all-solid-state light source at 671 nm for laser cooling of lithium.
abstract: We present an all-solid-state laser source emitting up to 2.1 W of single-frequency light at 671 nm developed for laser cooling of lithium atoms. It is based on a diode-pumped, neodymium-doped orthovanadate (Nd:YVO(4)) ring laser operating at 1342 nm. Optimization of the thermal management in the gain medium results in a maximum multi-frequency output power of 2.5 W at the fundamental wavelength. We develop a simple theory for the efficient implementation of intracavity second harmonic generation, and its application to our system allows us to obtain nonlinear conversion efficiencies of up to 88%. Single-mode operation and tuning is established by adding an etalon to the resonator. The second-harmonic wavelength can be tuned over 0.5 nm, and mode-hop-free scanning over more than 6 GHz is demonstrated, corresponding to around ten times the laser cavity free spectral range. The output frequency can be locked with respect to the lithium D-line transitions for atomic physics applications. Furthermore, we observe parametric Kerr-lens mode-locking when detuning the phase-matching temperature sufficiently far from the optimum value.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, ENS, UPMC, CNRS UMR 8552 24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris, France. ueismann@gmail.com
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Eismann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bergschneider
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sievers
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kretzschmar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salomon
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chevy
mesh_terms: D003080:Cold Temperature; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State; D008094:Lithium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011829:Radiation Dosage
chemical_list: D008094:Lithium