Tunable high-purity microwave signal generation from a dual-frequency VECSEL at 852 nm (orale)

Fabiola A. Camargo (1) , Nils Girard (2) , Jean-Marie Danet (3) , Ghaya Baili (2) , Loïc Morvan (2) , Daniel Dolfi (2) , David Holleville (3) , S. Guérandel (3) , Isabelle Sagnes (4) , Patrick Georges (1) , Gaëlle Lucas-Leclin (1)

1 Laboratoire Charles Fabry / Lasers
2 Thales Research and Technology [Palaiseau]
3 SYRTE - Systèmes de Référence Temps Espace
4 LPN - Laboratoire de photonique et de nanostructures

We demonstrate the dual-frequency emission of a diode-pumped vertical external-cavity semiconductor laser operating at 852 nm, dedicated to the coherent population trapping of cesium atoms for compact atomic frequency references. It is based on a single laser cavity sustaining the oscillation of two adjacent, cross-polarized, modes. The output power reaches 10 mW on each frequency. The frequency difference and the absolute laser frequencies are simultaneously precisely tuned and stabilized on external references, resulting in the generation of a high-purity optically-carried microwave signal. The laser design has focused on stability and compactness.

Keywords: Metrology; Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

Domains: Optics [physics.optics]

Fabiola A. Camargo, Nils Girard, Jean-Marie Danet, Ghaya Baili, Loïc Morvan, et al.. Tunable high-purity microwave signal generation from a dual-frequency VECSEL at 852 nm (orale). Photonics West'13 LASE '13 Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VECSELs) III, Feb 2013, San Francisco, United States. pp.86060S, ⟨10.1117/12.2014240⟩. ⟨hal-00822213⟩