光学频率标准与光钟的实现

综述了时间频率标准的发展过程.对构成光学频率标准的四个要素,即激光冷却、激光稳频、离子捕陷和光学频率梳进行了系统的介绍.详细描述了光钟的原理与系统构成,并对光学频率标准与光钟的应用前景进行了展望.     

Intensity tuning characteristics of double-mode He--Ne laser with optical feedback

This paper investigates the intensity tuning characteristics of a double longitudinal modes He--Ne laser subjected to optical feedback. The intensity undulations of the total light and the two modes are observed for different external cavity length. Two modulations of the internal cavity length are performed. One is only for the internal cavity length being modulated and the other is for both the internal and the external cavity length being modulated. The undulation frequency of the total light is found to be determined by the ratio of external cavity length to internal cavity length in both modulations. When the external cavity length is integral times of the internal cavity length, the fringe frequency of the total light could be seven or even more times of that in conventional optical feedback. A simple theoretical analysis is presented, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. The potential use of the experimental results is also discussed.     

Laser Feedback Technique for Precise Retardation Measurements

A simple and precise retardation measurement based on laser feedback is demonstrated. The measurement principle is based on polarization flipping induced by optical feedback from an external birefringence cavity. The measured wave plate is located in the external cavity. When the length of the external cavity is tuned, the polarization states of laser will flip between two eigenstates, and the position of polarization flipping in one period of intensity modulation will vary with retardation of the wave plate. The duty ratio of two eigenstates is used to determine the retardation. Main advantages of the technique are that it is compact, low cost, fast and flexible. Especially, it is insensitive to a fluctuation of laser intensity and is suitable for on-line measurement. The experimental results have shown that the measurement uncertainty is better than 0.03° in the range 30°-150°.     

Influence of Optical Feedback from Birefringence External Cavity on Intensity Tuning and Polarization of Laser

The characteristics of intensity tuning and polarization of He-Ne laser with optical feedback are studied. When the internal cavity length of the laser with birefringence optical feedback is tuned, not only does output intensity vary with laser frequency, but also the polarization periodically hops between two orthogonal directions. If the phase difference of birefringence is π/2, two polarization states Mternately oscillate and have equal bandwidths within the longitudinal mode spacing. The times of polarization flipping in the longitudinal mode bandwidth is proportional to the ratio of external cavity length to internal cavity length. The experimental results are explained, and the potential uses are also discussed.