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Using slow light to enable laser frequency stabilization to a short, high-Q cavity

Gustavsson, David ; Lindén, Marcus LU orcid ; Shortiss, Kevin LU ; Kröll, Stefan LU ; Walther, Andreas LU orcid ; Kinos, Adam LU and Rippe, Lars LU (2025) In Optics Express 33(2). p.2866-2877
Abstract

State-of-the-art laser frequency stabilization is limited by miniscule length changes caused by thermal noise. In this work, a cavity-length-insensitive frequency stabilization scheme is implemented using strong dispersion in a 21 mm long cavity with a europium-ion-doped spacer of yttrium orthosilicate. A number of limiting factors for slow light laser stabilization are evaluated, including the inhomogeneous and homogeneous linewidth of the ions, the deterioration of spectral windows, and the linewidth of the cavity modes. Using strong dispersion, the cavity modes were narrowed by a factor 1.6 × 105, leading to a cavity linewidth of 3.0 kHz and a Q factor of 1.7 × 1011. Frequency stabilization was demonstrated... (More)

State-of-the-art laser frequency stabilization is limited by miniscule length changes caused by thermal noise. In this work, a cavity-length-insensitive frequency stabilization scheme is implemented using strong dispersion in a 21 mm long cavity with a europium-ion-doped spacer of yttrium orthosilicate. A number of limiting factors for slow light laser stabilization are evaluated, including the inhomogeneous and homogeneous linewidth of the ions, the deterioration of spectral windows, and the linewidth of the cavity modes. Using strong dispersion, the cavity modes were narrowed by a factor 1.6 × 105, leading to a cavity linewidth of 3.0 kHz and a Q factor of 1.7 × 1011. Frequency stabilization was demonstrated using a cavity mode in a spectral transparency region near the center of the inhomogeneous profile, showing an overlapping Allan deviation below 6 × 10−14 and a linear drift rate of 3.66 Hz s−1. Considering improvements that could be implemented, this makes the europium-based slow light laser frequency reference a promising candidate for ultra-precise tabletop frequency stabilization.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Optics Express
volume
33
issue
2
pages
12 pages
publisher
Optical Society of America
external identifiers
  • pmid:39876424
  • scopus:85216888077
ISSN
1094-4087
DOI
10.1364/OE.540133
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 Optica Publishing Group (formerly OSA). All rights reserved.
id
06e52f94-4906-4072-8bb2-8365db03f9eb
date added to LUP
2025-02-26 09:53:44
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:58:33
@article{06e52f94-4906-4072-8bb2-8365db03f9eb,
  abstract     = {{<p>State-of-the-art laser frequency stabilization is limited by miniscule length changes caused by thermal noise. In this work, a cavity-length-insensitive frequency stabilization scheme is implemented using strong dispersion in a 21 mm long cavity with a europium-ion-doped spacer of yttrium orthosilicate. A number of limiting factors for slow light laser stabilization are evaluated, including the inhomogeneous and homogeneous linewidth of the ions, the deterioration of spectral windows, and the linewidth of the cavity modes. Using strong dispersion, the cavity modes were narrowed by a factor 1.6 × 10<sup>5</sup>, leading to a cavity linewidth of 3.0 kHz and a Q factor of 1.7 × 10<sup>11</sup>. Frequency stabilization was demonstrated using a cavity mode in a spectral transparency region near the center of the inhomogeneous profile, showing an overlapping Allan deviation below 6 × 10<sup>−14</sup> and a linear drift rate of 3.66 Hz s<sup>−1</sup>. Considering improvements that could be implemented, this makes the europium-based slow light laser frequency reference a promising candidate for ultra-precise tabletop frequency stabilization.</p>}},
  author       = {{Gustavsson, David and Lindén, Marcus and Shortiss, Kevin and Kröll, Stefan and Walther, Andreas and Kinos, Adam and Rippe, Lars}},
  issn         = {{1094-4087}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{2866--2877}},
  publisher    = {{Optical Society of America}},
  series       = {{Optics Express}},
  title        = {{Using slow light to enable laser frequency stabilization to a short, high-Q cavity}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.540133}},
  doi          = {{10.1364/OE.540133}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}