An ultrawideband microwave source based on a Zeeman tuned atomic iodine laser

Summary form only given. There has been a great deal of interest in using optical techniques to generate microwave signals. A compact, laser driven microwave source has interesting potentials for various radar applications. Our concept is based on locking two hyperfine lasing transitions of atomic iodine to produce radiation modulated at their difference frequency (13.6 GHz). Such a passive technique does not require the application of an intracavity GHz modulator or the stabilization of the laser frequency. Our concept, demonstrated with a low-power photolytic iodine laser, can be upscaled to a high-power chemical oxygen iodine laser.