Investigation of gain and hyperfine splitting in the niobium X-ray laser

Neon-like niobium X-ray lasers have been studied using both slab and thin-foil target geometries. Niobium foils of various lengths were irradiated from both sides with two beams of the frequency-doubled Nova laser system using a line focus. We looked for gain by measuring spectrally integrated line intensities at different plasma lengths. Gain was observed in four neon-like niobium lines corresponding to 3s–3p transitions. The line profile of theJ = 0–1 line ( = 145.9 ) shows splitting due to the hyperfine effect. Improved contrast in the hyperfine structure is observed as the plasma length is increased. Hyperfine splitting may be relevant to other 3s–3p transitions in neon-like niobium as well as other neon-like X-ray laser systems.     

铷原子饱和吸收光谱与偏振光谱对780nm半导体激光器稳频的比较

将激光频率锁定于合适的参考频率,可以有效地抑制激光器的频率起伏。本文采用铷原子D2线超精细跃迁线的饱和吸收光谱和偏振光谱分别获得鉴频曲线,通过电子伺服系统将频率校正信号负反馈到780 nm光栅外腔反馈半导体激光器外腔的压电陶瓷上的方法对激光器进行稳频。介绍了两种方法的基本原理和实验方案。与激光器自由运转300s时激光器典型的频率起伏约6.6 MHz相比,采用饱和吸收光谱和偏振光谱进行稳频,运转300 s时激光器典型的残余频率起伏分别约为1.5 MHz和0.6 MHz。分析表明,饱和吸收光谱稳频采用了相敏检波技术,需要对激光器进行频率调制,带来了额外的频率噪声,而偏振光谱稳频则是一种完全无频率调制的稳频方案。     

铷原子饱和吸收光谱与偏振光谱对780nm半导体激光器稳频的比较

将激光频率锁定于合适的参考频率,可以有效地抑制激光器的频率起伏。本文采用铷原子D2线超精细跃迁线的饱和吸收光谱和偏振光谱分别获得鉴频曲线,通过电子伺服系统将频率校正信号负反馈到780 nm光栅外腔反馈半导体激光器外腔的压电陶瓷上的方法对激光器进行稳频。介绍了两种方法的基本原理和实验方案。与激光器自由运转300s时激光器典型的频率起伏约6.6 MHz相比,采用饱和吸收光谱和偏振光谱进行稳频,运转300 s时激光器典型的残余频率起伏分别约为1.5 MHz和0.6 MHz。分析表明,饱和吸收光谱稳频采用了相敏检波技术,需要对激光器进行频率调制,带来了额外的频率噪声,而偏振光谱稳频则是一种完全无频率调制的稳频方案。     

Multiple spectral structure of the 578.2 nm copper laser line

The multiple spectral structure of the 578.2 nm copper laser line of a CuBr laser is investigated. By considering the special hyperfine transitions of the⁶³Cu atom, the discharge disturbance and the competition of transitions, an explanation of the multiple line structure is given     

Measurement of Secular Motion Frequency in Miniature Paul Trap to Ascertain the Stability Parameters

40Ca＋ ions are trapped and laser cooled in a miniature Paul trap. The secular motion was observed by the radio-frequency resonance of the ion cloud and Zeeman profile sidebands of a single ion experimentally. The trap stability parameters a and q are determined with an uncertainty under 1% by the secular motion frequency measurement. The trap efficiency is 0.75. A practicable suggestion is given for the benefits of a new trap design.     

Laser frequency locking based on the normal and abnormal saturated absorption spectroscopy of ~(87)Rb

We present a practical method to avoid the mis-locking phenomenon in the saturated-absorption-spectrum laserfrequency-locking system and set up a simple theoretical model to explain the abnormal saturated absorption spectrum. The method uses the normal and abnormal saturated absorption spectra of the same transition 5~2S_(1/2), F = 2–5~2P_(3/2), F'= 3 saturated absorption of the ~(87)Rb D_2resonance line. After subtracting these two signals with the help of electronics, we can obtain a spectrum with a single peak to lock the laser. In our experiment, we use the normal and inverse signals of the transitions 5~2S_(1/2), F = 2–5~2P_(3/2), F'= 3 saturated absorption of the ~(87)Rb D_2 resonance line to lock a 780-nm distributed feedback(DFB) diode laser. This method improves the long-term locking performance and is suitable for other kinds of diode lasers.     

Widely tunable laser frequency offset locking to the atomic resonance line with frequency modulation spectroscopy

A simple and robust technique is reported to offset lock a single semiconductor laser to the atom resonance line with a frequency difference easily adjustable from a few tens of megahertz up to tens of gigahertz. The proposed scheme makes use of the frequency modulation spectroscopy by modulating sidebands of a fiber electro-optic modulator output. The short-term performances of a frequency offset locked semiconductor laser are experimentally demonstrated with the Allan variance of around 3.9 × 10~(-11) at a 2 s integration time. This method may have many applications, such as in Raman optics for an atom interferometer.     

Injection locking of a diode laser locked to a Zeeman frequency stabilized laser oscillator

We describe the design and performance of an injection-locked diode laser locked to a stabilized, single frequency, unmodulated diode laser. The master oscillator is a grating-tuned, external cavity diode laser which is stabilized on a Doppler free alkali metal resonance transition frequency via Zeeman locking. The master oscillator frequency is shifted by an acousto-optic modulator, which provides optical isolation of the master oscillator laser while tuning of the acousto-optic modulation frequency can also provide frequency offset tuning. The slave laser is a free running diode which is injection-locked by a small fraction of the frequency shifted master oscillator light. Good long- and short-time frequency stability are observed for both the Zeeman-locked master oscillator and the injection-locked slave laser.     

Phase locking in a multicore fiber laser by means of a Talbot resonator

We report phase locking of a diode-pumped multicore fiber laser with a circular array of 18 Nd-doped emitters (microcores) acting as an active medium. Phase locking was achieved in a Talbot resonator configuration. We present calculations of the effective reflection coefficients that are due to self-imaging. Far-field distributions and near-field pattern of several supermodes are calculated and compared with experimental results.     

The frequency shifting of laser light by electro-optic techniques

In velocity measurements by the laser Doppler method, a requirement exists for changing the frequency of one light beam with respect to another derived from the same source. This is particularly useful for the determination of the sign of a velocity. The required frequency shifting or single side-band generation can be accomplished by the use of electro-optical effects and a number of possible arrangements are discussed. Trials were made using Kerr cells and electro-optic crystals and single side-band generation demonstrated by a simple Doppler beating experiment. If a low efficiency can be tolerated as in Doppler beating with a reference beam, the production of a pure frequency shifted beam is not difficult up to frequencies of a few megahertz. The differential Doppler or fringe system however requires shifted and non-shifted beams of equal intensity and hence high efficiency conversion is imperative. Radio-frequency driving power requirements may also be a limitation. The theoretical efficiencies of various multi-cell electro-optic arrangements have been calculated as a function of R.F. excitation. The possible efficiency approaches unity as the number of cells is increased.     

A new method to determine the frequency response of enclosures using masked tones

Existing methods for equalization of enclosures are traditionally carried out in an empty room due to the annoying effect of the signals employed (pink noise, 1/3 octave tones, etc.) over the audience. Under these conditions, the frequency response and the subsequent equalization are determined from results that do not take into account the presence of people nor any other change that may occur in the room while the musical event takes place. In addition, this kind of equalization cannot be objectively readjusted during the event. In this contribution, a method to determine the frequency response of enclosures in an imperceptible way for the audience is presented. It involves including a test signal within a musical track that, thanks to the behaviour of human hearing, can be masked and successfully recovered using reference microphones. Hence, it is possible to obtain the room transfer function in the presence of public and perform the equalization adjustments while the music track is being played. The results agree completely with traditional methods, the great advantage being the possibility of performing the equalization at any moment during the musical event and in a transparent fashion with respect to the audience.     

Measurement of surface roughness properties by means of laser speckle techniques

The statistical properties of speckle intensity variations produced by coherent light in the far-field diffraction plane of an iluminated area of an object are studied experimentally as a function of the radius of an illuminating beam over the object and are found to have a relation to its surface roughness and correlation lenght. Measurements of the surface roughness and the correlation lenght become possible by investigating the contrast variation of the speckle intensity as a function of the radius of the illuminating beam.     

Improving frequency stability of laser by means of temperature-controlled Fabry-Perot cavity

The frequency stability of an all-solid-state Nd:YVO4 laser is significantly improved by means of a specially designed Fabry-Perot (F-P) interferometer used for the frequency standard in the frequency-stabilizing system. The temperature of the F-P cavity is accurately controlled by a set of thermoelectric cooler (TEC) modules attached on th ody of the cavity and the electronic feedback circuit. We find that the long-term unidirectional frequency shift of the output laser, resulting from the slow increase of the cavity length under the effect of the temperature integration on the cavity body, is essentially eliminated. The frequency stability of the output laser with the power of 530 mW is better than ±200 kHz in 1 minute and ±2.3 MHz in 40 minutes, respectively. The fluctuation of output power is smaller than ±0.5% over one hour.     

Numerical study of converting beat-note signals of dual-frequency lasers to optical frequency combs by optical injection locking of semiconductor lasers

The optical injection locking of semiconductor lasers to dual-frequency lasers is studied by numerical simulations. The beat-note signals can be effectively transformed to optical frequency combs due to the effective four wave-mixing in the active semiconductor gain medium. The low-noise Gaussian-like pulse can be obtained by locking the relaxation oscillation and compensating the gain asymmetry. The simulations suggest that pulse trains of width below 30 ps and repetition rate in GHz frequency can be generated simply by the optical injection locking of semiconductor lasers. Since the optical injection locking can broaden the spectrum and amplify the optical power simultaneously, it can be a good initial stage for generating optical frequency combs from dual-frequency lasers by multi-stage of spectral broadening in nonlinear waveguides.     

A phase-sensitive technique to measure small changes in laser frequency: application to measure the shift and broadening of a saturated absorption line of OsO4

A phase-sensitive technique was used to measure the sensitivity to operating conditions of the output frequency of a highly stable carbon dioxide laser, which operated on the 10-μmm R(0) transition (28.8 THz) and was locked to the saturated absorption of the Q(15) transition of OsO₄. Periodic changes in the operating conditions were imposed on the laser and the resulting changes in the output frequency were measured through phase-sensitive demodulation of the heterodyne beat with a second CO₂ laser of much lower stability. Shifts as small as 50Hz could be detected by this technique. The results are in good agreement with previous measurements which employed an infrared frequency chain.