Title :
Frequency stabilization of an AlGaAs laser using the thorium optogalvanic spectrum
Author :
Gagné, Jean-Marie ; David, Eric ; Bertrand, Lionel
Author_Institution :
Dept. de Genie Phys., Ecole Polytech., Montreal, Que., Canada
Abstract :
The possibility of using the thorium optogalvanic spectrum as a wavelength reference spectrum is shown. The frequency stabilization of an AlGaAs laser using an optogalvanic signal from the spectrum of metallic thorium vapor is reported. A hollow-cathode electric discharge tube, designed and built in a laboratory, has been used to obtain the resonant optogalvanic line corresponding to the ThI 10414.1364 cm/sup -1/ (fds/sup 2/)-23201.9890 cm/sup -1/ (fdsp) transition (781.77699 nm). In preliminary results, the closed-loop frequency fluctuations were reduced within 150 kHz peak-to-peak for a time constant of 1 s. This value corresponds to the discharge white noise, estimated to be 0.1 mu V, which constitutes the intrinsic limit.<>
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; frequency measurement; gallium arsenide; glow discharges; infrared spectra of atoms; laser frequency stability; measurement standards; optogalvanic spectra; semiconductor junction lasers; 781.77699 nm; AlGaAs laser; III-V semiconductor; Th; closed-loop frequency fluctuations; discharge white noise; frequency stabilization; hollow-cathode electric discharge tube; intrinsic limit; optogalvanic spectrum; resonant optogalvanic line; time constant; wavelength reference spectrum; Diode lasers; Distributed feedback devices; Frequency; Laser stability; Laser transitions; Optical feedback; Optical filters; Optical transmitters; Phase locked loops; Semiconductor lasers;
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
