title: A simple laser locking system based on a field-programmable gate array.
abstract: Frequency stabilization of laser light is crucial in both scientific and industrial applications. Technological developments now allow analog laser stabilization systems to be replaced with digital electronics such as field-programmable gate arrays, which have recently been utilized to develop such locking systems. We have developed a frequency stabilization system based on a field-programmable gate array, with emphasis on hardware simplicity, which offers a user-friendly alternative to commercial and previous home-built solutions. Frequency modulation, lock-in detection, and a proportional-integral-derivative controller are programmed on the field-programmable gate array and only minimal additional components are required to frequency stabilize a laser. The locking system is administered from a host-computer which provides comprehensive, long-distance control through a versatile interface. Various measurements were performed to characterize the system. The linewidth of the locked laser was measured to be 0.7 ± 0.1 MHz with a settling time of 10 ms. The system can thus fully match laser systems currently in use for atom trapping and cooling applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Birkmose
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Trelborg
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wacker
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hilliard
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bason
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Arlt