0000000000122974
AUTHOR
Christian Kürbis
Autonomous frequency stabilization of two extended cavity diode lasers at the potassium wavelength on a sounding rocket
We have developed, assembled, and flight-proven a stable, compact, and autonomous extended cavity diode laser (ECDL) system designed for atomic physics experiments in space. To that end, two micro-integrated ECDLs at 766.7 nm were frequency stabilized during a sounding rocket flight by means of frequency modulation spectroscopy (FMS) of 39^K and offset locking techniques based on the beat note of the two ECDLs. The frequency stabilization as well as additional hard- and software to test hot redundancy mechanisms were implemented as part of a state-machine, which controlled the experiment completely autonomously throughout the entire flight mission.
Design of a compact diode laser system for dual-species atom interferometry with rubidium and potassium in space
We report on a micro-integrated high power diode laser based system for the MAIUS II/III missions. The laser system features fiber coupled and frequency stabilized external cavity diode lasers (ECDL) for laser cooling, Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) generation and dual species atom interferometry with rubidium and potassium on board a sounding rocket.