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arXiv · 1306.0402

Microwave sidebands for laser cooling by direct modulation of a tapered amplifier

Jan Mahnke·Sascha Kulas·Ilka Geisel·Stefan Jöllenbeck·Wolfgang Ertmer·Carsten Klempt
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Abstract

Laser cooling of atoms usually necessitates several laser frequencies. Alkaline atoms, for example, are cooled by two lasers with a frequency difference in the Gigahertz range. This gap cannot be closed with simple shifting techniques. Here, we present a method of generating sidebands at 6.6 GHz by modulating the current of a tapered amplifier which is seeded by an unmodulated master laser. The sidebands enable trapping of 1.1*10^9 Rubidium 87 atoms in a chip-based magneto-optical trap. Compared to the direct modulation of the master laser, this method allows for an easy implementation, a fast adjustment over a wide frequency range and the simultaneous extraction of unmodulated light for manipulation and detection. The low power consumption, small size and applicability for multiple frequencies benefits a wide range of applications, reaching from atom-based mobile sensors to the laser cooling of molecules.

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Jan Mahnke, Sascha Kulas, Ilka Geisel, Stefan Jöllenbeck, Wolfgang Ertmer, Carsten Klempt. 2013-06-03. Microwave sidebands for laser cooling by direct modulation of a tapered amplifier. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4811196

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