Intensity stabilisation of an argon laser using an electro-optic modulator —Performance and limitations

An intensity-stabilisation system for an argon laser using an electro-optic modulator is described. We achieved a degree of stabilisation of up to 40 dB (factor of 100) for intensity fluctuations below a few kHz. The performance in this frequency range did not reach that expected from the available loop gain. We have identified two serious limiting factors to the performance of our system at low frequency: geometrical fluctuations and frequency fluctuations of the laser light.