0000000000022637

AUTHOR

M. Stappel

Triple resonant four-wave mixing: A microwatt continuous-wave laser source in the vacuum ultraviolet region at 120 nm

We present a vacuum ultraviolet laser source by four-wave mixing in mercury vapour based on solid-state laser systems. Maximum powers of 6μW were achieved with an increase of four orders of magnitude in efficiency.

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A continuous wave 10 W cryogenic fiber amplifier at 1015 nm and frequency quadrupling to 254 nm

A stable, continuous wave, single frequency fiber amplifier system at 1015 nm with 10W output power is presented. It is based on a large mode double clad fiber cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature. The amplified light is frequency quadrupled to 254 nm and used for spectroscopy of the 6^1S - 6^3P transition in mercury.

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A semiconductor laser system for the production of antihydrogen

Laser-controlled charge exchange is a promising method for producing cold antihydrogen. Caesium atoms in Rydberg states collide with positrons and create positronium. These positronium atoms then interact with antiprotons, forming antihydrogen. Las er excitation of the caesium atoms is essential to increase the cross section of the charge-exchange collisions. This method was demonstrated in 2004 by the ATRAP collaboration by using an available copper vapour laser. For a second generation of charge-e xchange experiments we have designed a new semiconductor laser system that features several improvements compared to the copper vapour laser. We describe this new laser system and show the resul…

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Rydberg Excitation of a Single Trapped Ion.

We demonstrate excitation of a single trapped cold $^{40}$Ca$^+$ ion to Rydberg levels by laser radiation in the vacuum-ultraviolet at 122 nm wavelength. Observed resonances are identified as 3d$^2$D$_{3/2}$ to 51 F, 52 F and 3d$^2$D$_{5/2}$ to 64F. We model the lineshape and our results imply a large state-dependent coupling to the trapping potential. Rydberg ions are of great interest for future applications in quantum computing and simulation, in which large dipolar interactions are combined with the superb experimental control offered by Paul traps.

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Continuous-wave, double-pass second-harmonic generation with 60% efficiency in a single MgO:PPSLT crystal

We present a double-pass scheme for high-efficiency, high-power, second-harmonic generation (SHG) in a single MgO-doped periodically poled stoichiometric lithium tantalate (MgO:PPSLT) crystal. The device is pumped by a single-frequency, continuous-wave fiber amplifier laser system at a wavelength of 1091 nm. For the double-pass scheme, a conversion efficiency of 60% and a harmonic power of 12.8 W at a wavelength of 545.5 nm with a high beam quality of (M2<1.2) is achieved. Compared to single-pass SHG, a double-pass enhancement factor of more than two is observed at the highest fundamental pump power.

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Continuous Lyman-alpha generation by four-wave mixing in mercury for laser cooling of antihydrogenThis paper was presented at the International Conference on Precision Physics of Simple Atomic Systems, held at École de Physique, les Houches, France, 30 May – 4 June, 2010.

Cooling antihydrogen atoms is important for future experiments both to test the fundamental CPT symmetry by high resolution laser spectroscopy and also to measure the gravitational acceleration of antimatter. Laser cooling of antihydrogen can be done on the strong 1S–2P transition at the wavelength of Lyman-alpha (121.6 nm). A continuous wave laser at the Lyman-alpha wavelength based on solid-state fundamental lasers is described. By using a two-photon and a near one-photon resonance a scan across the whole phase matching curve of the four-wave mixing process is possible. Furthermore the influence of the beam profile of one fundamental beam on the four-wave mixing process is studied.

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