Optical heterodyne spectroscopy enhanced by an external optical cavity: toward improved working standards

Author

Ma, L.-S. ; Hall, J.L.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Phys., East China Normal Univ., Shanghai, China

Volume

26

Issue

11

fYear

1990

fDate

11/1/1990 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

2006

Lastpage

2012

Abstract

A study is made of the use of an external resonator to enhance sub-Doppler signals observable with the high-sensitivity techniques of optical heterodyne spectroscopy. The case of modulation-transfer spectroscopy in a ring resonator is considered in detail. Exciting the ¹²⁷I₂ resonance at 612 nm with a low-power He-Ne laser made it possible to observe a S/N of 250:1 in a 10-kHz bandwidth. Used in an optimal control loop, this performance would provide a laser stability of 10 Hz at 1 s. Such a greater-than-hundredfold improvement in stability should lead to increases in accuracy as well

Keywords

laser beam applications; laser frequency stability; measurement standards; optical resonators; optical transfer function; spectrometer components and accessories; spectroscopy; 10 Hz; 612 nm; ¹²⁷I₂ resonance; external optical cavity; external resonator; high-sensitivity techniques; laser stability; low power He-Ne laser; modulation-transfer spectroscopy; optical heterodyne spectroscopy; optimal control loop; ring resonator; sub-Doppler signals; working standards; Bandwidth; Laser stability; Optical mixing; Optical modulation; Optical resonators; Optical ring resonators; Optimal control; Resonance; Ring lasers; Spectroscopy;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.62120

Filename

62120