Red DBR laser chips for strontium-based optical atomic clocks
Optical atomic clocks provide the most accurate time measurements available so far and have the potential to benefit basic research as well as improve satellite navigation. For strontium optical atomic clocks, we have developed red-emitting distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) lasers with emission wavelengths from 689 nm to 712 nm. The frequency stability with a record spectral linewidth of only 0.4 MHz makes the lasers suitable for laser cooling, repumping and excitation of the clock transition.
In DBR lasers, a ridge waveguide ensures lateral single-mode operation. Frequency stability and specificity of the emission frequency are enforced by a surface Bragg grating at one end of the laser diode. Incorporating the grating into the chip yields smaller and more compact lasers than comparable systems with external gratings, making DBR lasers ideal candidates for space applications of quantum optical sensors.
Exhibitor: Ferdinand-Braun-Institut gGmbH