Experimental observation of photon echoes and power-efficiency analysis in a cavity environment

We present what is, to our best knowledge, the first experimental demonstration of echo signals generated from a sample in an optical cavity. The configuration allows us to use an optically thin sample and still have high effective absorption as well as relatively uniform excitation in the longitudinal direction within the sample. We observed echo signal power of up to twice that of certain input fields. The observed efficiency is much greater than the normally expected few percent. By using an input field encoded with a bit sequence, we also show that the cavity does not introduce significant distortion into the reproduced signal.     

Simple high-coherence rapidly tunable external-cavity diode laser

We describe a simple electro-optically activated external-cavity diode laser designed to provide high-speed, high-coherence tuning over gigahertz frequency ranges. Tuning as fast as 23 GHz/ micros is demonstrated. Coherence measurements indicate transform-limited quiescent laser linewidth in observation windows as wide as ~100 micros and transform-limited chirps. A self-heterodyne, cross-correlation-based coherence diagnostic is developed for characterizing phase coherence during high-speed chirps.     

Low-loss silica-on-silicon two-dimensional Fabry-Perot cavity based on holographic Bragg reflectors

We report on the demonstration of an integrated slab-waveguide-based concentric Fabry-Perot resonator that employs holographic Bragg reflectors as cavity mirrors. The cavity, produced in a low-loss silica-on-silicon slab waveguide by high-fidelity deep-ultraviolet photolithographic fabrication, exhibits a reflectivity-limited Q factor of approximately 10(5). Increasing the mirror's reflectivity will provide Q values similar to those of silica-based ring resonators, whereas the folded Fabry-Perot resonator design allows access to a substantially larger free spectral range by cavity shortening.     

Superradiant emission dynamics of an optically thin material sample in a short-decay-time optical cavity

We report observations of optical superradiant emission and the atomic evolution it drives under conditions closely approximating those originally envisioned in the classic work of Dicke [Phys. Rev. 93, 99 (1954)]. Our experiment involves an optically thin solid sample in a short-lifetime optical cavity whose homogeneous coherence is cryogenically stabilized. Pulsed coherent excitation initiates superradiant emission which subsequently drives the sample to higher or lower states of coherence. Suppression of dephasing via cryogenics and propagation effects through use of an optically thin sample and cavity provides one of the clearest and cleanest examples of Dicke superradiance yet reported.