Laser frequency offset locking scheme for high-field imaging of cold atoms

We present a simple and flexible frequency offset locking scheme developed for high-field imaging of ultra-cold atoms which relies on commercially available RF electronics only. The main new ingredient is the use of the sharp amplitude response of a “home-made” RF filter to provide an error signal for locking the lasers. We were able to offset lock two independent diode lasers within a capture range of hundreds of MHz, and with a tuning range of up to 1.4 GHz. The beat-note residual fluctuations for offset locked lasers are below 2 MHz for integration times of several hundreds of seconds.     

Laser ultrasonic propagation imaging method in the frequency domain based on wavelet transformation

A wavelet-transformed ultrasonic propagation imaging method capable of ultrasonic propagation imaging in the frequency domain was developed and applied as a new structural damage or flaw visualization algorithm. Since the wavelet-transformed ultrasonic propagation imaging method has strong frequency selectivity, it can visualize the propagation of ultrasonic waves of a specific frequency (for example, to isolate ultrasonic mode of interest and a damage-related ultrasonic wave). The strong frequency selectivity of the wavelet-transformed ultrasonic propagation imaging method was demonstrated, isolating only the zeroth-order asymmetrical mode of the fundamental Lamb wave modes in an anisotropic carbon fiber-reinforced plastic plate with a thickness of 5 mm. The wavelet-transformed ultrasonic propagation imaging method can also convert a complex time domain multiple wavefield into a simple frequency domain single wavefield. This feature enables easy interpretation of the results, and facilitates the precise evaluation of the location and size of structural damage or flaws. We demonstrated this capability by detecting a disbond in a sandwich structure made of Al-alloy skins and a foam core. A disbond with a diameter of 20 mm, which is representative of a common manufacturing flaw, was successfully detected, localized, and evaluated. Since a method to determine the allowable maximum pulse repetition frequency depending on target materials and structures was found by investigating the residual wave caused from the previous laser impinging, our laser ultrasonic system can scan rapidly the target with an optimal pulse repetition rate. In addition, the proposed wavelet-transformed ultrasonic propagation imaging method can visualize damage or flaw without the need for reference data from the intact state of the structure. Hence, we propose the wavelet-transformed ultrasonic propagation imaging approach for automatic inspection of in-service engineering structures, or in-process quality inspection in manufacturing.     

Laser beam deflection by frequency shifting

A new type of beam scanner has been developed which utilizes frequency shifting of a laser beam followed by deflection of the beam in a dispersive element. Theoretical considerations involve the maximization of the frequency shift and number of resolvable spots. An experimental deflector has been constructed which employs a mode-locked 0.633 μm He-Ne laser, lithium-niobate frequency shifter, and a Fabry-Perot dispersion element. Scans of 15 resolvable spots have been obtained with a theoretical access time of 18.5 ns.     

Fast frequency selective MR imaging

With the proposed fast frequency selective MR imaging (FFSMRI) method, we focused on the elimination of all off-resonance components from the image of the observed object. To maintain imaging speed and simultaneously achieve good frequency selectivity, MRI was divided into two steps: signal acquisition and postprocessing. After the preliminary phase in which we determine imaging parameters, MRI takes place; the signal from the same object is successively acquired M times. As a result, we obtain M partial signals in k-space, from which we calculate the image of the observed object in postprocessing phase, after signal acquisition has been completed. With proper selection of parameters, it is possible to exclude from the image a majority of off-resonance components present in the observed object. However, we can decide to keep only a chosen off-resonance component in the image and eliminate all other components, including the on-resonance component and thus producing a different image from the same acquisition. The experiments with Fe(OH)(3) and oil showed that signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be improved by about a factor of four. The proposed FFSMRI method is suitable for frequency selective MR imaging and quantitative measurements in dynamic MRI where exclusion of off-resonance components can improve the reliability of measurement.     

Chaotic imaging in frequency downconversion

We analyze and recover, by means of spatial intensity correlations, the image obtained by a seeded frequency-downconversion process in which the seed field is chaotic and an intensity modulation is encoded in the pump field. Although the field generated is as chaotic as the seed field and does not carry any information about the modulation of the pump, one can extract an image of the pump by measuring the spatial intensity correlations between the generated field and one Fourier component of the seed.     

Laser frequency stabilization using selective reflection spectroscopy

1 line. We discuss the performance of this novel frequency stabilization scheme and analyze its dependence on various system parameters. The technique is compared to the commonly used saturation spectroscopic techniques. Received: 8 September 1997/Revised version: 16 October 1997     

Laser Doppler velocimeter with optical frequency shifting

A bi-directional laser Doppler velocimeter utilizing optical frequency shifting has been developed. Optical frequency shifting is achieved by using a rotating radial grating. A high diffraction efficiency permits the system to be used in the fringe mode. The zero velocity frequency shift can be varied from 0.1 to 2.5 MHz with a stability better than 0.2%. Important applications are velocity measurements in reversing flows, highly turbulent flows, two-phase flows, and boundary layers. The system described may also be used for vibration analysis. Experimental results are presented.     

Laser frequency stabilization using a balanced bi-polarimeter

We report on a Doppler-free polarization spectroscopy based technique of laser frequency stabilization using a balanced bi-polarimeter set-up. Two linearly polarized weak laser beams are used to probe birefringence induced by two oppositely circularly polarized strong pump beams in a vapour cell. Subtraction of balanced polarimeter signals obtained from the two probe beams results in a background-free dispersion-like reference signal without frequency modulation. The dispersion-like signal corresponding to the closed transition 5 ² S _1/2 (F=2) →5 ² P _3/2 (F^′=3) of ⁸⁷Rb was used for frequency locking of a diode laser. The frequency fluctuations and the drift were measured to be less than 0.25 MHz and 0.02 MHz, respectively, for an observation period of more than 10 hours. PACS 42.62.Fi; 42.55.Px; 32.30.-r     

Off-resonance frequency filtered magnetic resonance imaging

One of the main problems with rapid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques is the artifacts that result from off-resonance effects. The proposed off-resonance frequency filtered MRI (OFF-MRI) method focuses on the elimination of off-resonance components from the image of the observed object. To maintain imaging speed and simultaneously achieve good frequency selectivity, MRI is divided into two steps: signal acquisition and post-processing.     

Laser Doppler velocimeter with variable optical frequency shift

An opto-electronic system that allows a stable accurate frequency shift, variable from 10 kHz to 50 MHz, to be introduced in a laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) has been developed. The system combines a fixed optical-frequency shift obtained using a Bragg cell with an electronic shift which results from mixing the detector signal with a variable local oscillator frequency phase locked to the Bragg cell driver. This paper discusses the advantages of the system in both a tracker and a counter based LDV.     

基于非线性频率变换的激光技术实验

利用KTP晶体和BBO晶体对激光二极管(LD)泵浦Nd:YVO4晶体声光调Q产生的1 064 nm红外光进行二倍频与四倍频, 实现了高效的紫外激光输出. 采用腔外倍频技术可使学生看到倍频前后的激光变换过程.     

Laser frequency noise immunity in multiplexed displacement sensing

Digitally enhanced interferometry (DI) can be used to distinguish between interferometric signals and simultaneously monitor in-line object displacements with subnanometer sensitivity. In contrast to conventional interferometry-where these signals interfere with each other and degrade performance-we experimentally show that by using DI, each of these signals can be isolated and measured at the same time. We present what we believe to be the first demonstration of DI's signal multiplexing capabilities, showing simultaneous length sensing of three sections of an optical fiber. The cross talk between length measurements was less than 2.6×10(-3) with a displacement noise floor of 200 pm/√Hz, which corresponds to a strain sensitivity of less than 80 picostrain(p?) in each sensor. We also enhance our system's displacement sensitivity at low frequencies by combining information from multiple lengths to suppress errors due to laser frequency noise.     

基于压电陶瓷的激光频率调谐技术

在充分研究各种激光调谐方法优缺点的基础上,针对其调谐范围、调谐速率、调谐线性等方面存在的不足,提出一种基于压电陶瓷的激光频率调谐技术。该方法将压电陶瓷与光纤光栅激光器的布拉格光栅进行粘结,通过调整压电陶瓷的驱动电压来带动布拉格光栅的伸缩,实现波长（即频率）的调谐。同时,利用虚拟仪器中的计算机软件拟合技术,校正压电陶瓷输入电压与输出位移之间的非线性,使系统呈线性频率调谐,以提高测量精度。实验结果表明,当压电陶瓷的驱动电压变化126 V时,可实现0.8 nm（即100 GHz）的调谐范围。     

Laser frequency locking by direct measurement of detuning

We present a new method of laser frequency locking in which the feedback signal is directly proportional to the detuning from an atomic transition, even at detunings many times the natural linewidth of the transition. Our method is a form of sub-Doppler polarization spectroscopy, based on measuring two Stokes parameters (I2 and I3) of light transmitted through a vapor cell. It extends the linear capture range of the lock loop by as much as an order of magnitude and provides frequency discrimination equivalent to or better than those of other commonly used locking techniques.     

Laser frequency stabilization based on Sagnac interferometric spectroscopy

A simple method based on Sagnac interferometric spectroscopy (SIS) is applied for frequency stabilization of diode lasers. Sagnac interferometric spectra of rubidium vapor are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The interference signal at the output of the Sagnac interferometer displays a sharp dispersion feature near the atomic resonance. This dispersion curve is used as the feedback error signal to stabilize the laser frequency. Linewidth of a diode laser is stabilized down to 1 MHz by this modulation-free method.     

Laser frequency stabilization by magnetically assisted rotation spectroscopy

We present a method of Doppler-free laser frequency stabilization based on magnetically assisted rotation spectroscopy (MARS) which combines the Doppler-free velocity-selective optical pumping (VSOP) and magnetic rotation spectroscopy. The stabilization is demonstrated for the atomic rubidium transitions at 780 nm. The proposed method is largely independent of stray magnetic fields and does not require any modulation of the laser frequency. Moreover, the discussed method allows one to choose between locking the laser exactly to the line center, or with a magnetically-controlled shift to an arbitrary frequency detuned by up to several natural linewidths. This feature is useful in many situations, e.g. for laser cooling experiments. In addition to presenting the principle of the method, its theoretical background and peculiarities inherent to the repopulation VSOP are discussed.