Title :
All-optical microwave frequency standard: a proposal
Author :
Cyr, Normand ; Tetu, Michel ; Breton, Marc
Author_Institution :
Dept. de Genie Electr., Laval Univ., Sainte-Foy, Que., Canada
fDate :
4/1/1993 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
A simple method to produce a clock transition with purely optical means by modulated pumping is described. The field-independent ground state resonance of 87Rb atoms using sinusoidal modulation of the injection current of an AlGaAs laser diode emitting at 780 nm (FM modulation) is observed. The 6.835 GHz resonance with a subharmonic modulation frequency of 1.139 GHz is detected. A high-contrast resonance peak is observed and a condition for zero light shift is found. The linewidth is 3 kHz (at 6.835 GHz) in this preliminary experiment, due to the small size of the light beam (~2 mm diameter) and the low buffer gas pressure (680 Pa) that was used. A theoretical model that explains the main features of the experiment is described
Keywords :
atomic beams; atomic photoexcitation; atomic resonant states; frequency measurement; laser beam applications; measurement standards; microwave measurement; optical modulation; optical pumping; rubidium; 1.139 GHz; 2 mm; 6.835 GHz; 680 Pa; 780 nm; 87Rb; AlGaAs laser diode; FM modulation; atomic standard; clock transition; ground state resonance; high-contrast resonance peak; injection current; light beam; linewidth; modulated pumping; optical microwave frequency standard; sinusoidal modulation; subharmonic modulation frequency; theoretical model; Atom optics; Clocks; Frequency modulation; Microwave frequencies; Optical buffering; Optical modulation; Optical pumping; Proposals; Resonance; Stimulated emission;
Journal_Title :
Instrumentation and Measurement, IEEE Transactions on
