0000000001075110
AUTHOR
Moritz Mihm
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.
Highly stable Zerodur based optical benches for microgravity applications and other adverse environments
A number of cold atom experiments are restrained by the impeding effects of gravity. While efforts have been made to overcome these limitations in a gravitational environment, another approach is placing the experiment in a microgravity environment, as can be found aboard sounding rockets, satellites or a space station. The cornerstone of such experiments is a robust laser system. The adverse conditions during a rocket launch impose stringent requirements on thermal stability and resilience against mechanical stress on this part of the experimental setup. Furthermore, the very limited space found on any of the aforementioned microgravity platforms necessitates maximal miniaturization. In or…
Note: Simultaneous modulation transfer spectroscopy on transitions of multiple atomic species for compact laser frequency reference modules
We present a technique for simultaneous laser frequency stabilization on transitions of multiple atomic species with a single optical setup. The method is based on modulation transfer spectroscopy, and the signals are separated by modulating at different frequencies and electronically filtered. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate simultaneous spectroscopy of the potassium D1, D2 and rubidium D2 transitions. The technique can be extended in principle to other atomic species given the availability of optics and cells and allows the development of versatile and compact frequency reference modules.
Determining the deformation and resulting coupling efficiency degradation of ultrastable fiber-coupled optical benches under load.
Fiber-coupled optical benches are an integral part of many laser systems. The base of such an optical bench is usually a slab of solid material, onto which optical components are fixed. In many environments, the ability to retain high fiber coupling efficiency under mechanical loads is essential. In this article, we study the fiber-to-fiber coupling efficiency under the application of static mechanical loads experimentally and theoretically: We constructed a simple three-point bending setup to interferometrically measure the deformation of an optical bench under load. Using the same setup, we further recorded the resulting coupling efficiency variations. The examined optical benches are bas…
Highly angular resolving beam separator based on total internal reflection
We present an optical element for the separation of superimposed beams that only differ in angle. The beams are angularly resolved and separated by total internal reflection at an air gap between two prisms. As a showcase application, we demonstrate the separation of superimposed beams of different diffraction orders directly behind acousto-optic modulators for an operating wavelength of 800 nm. The wavelength as well as the component size can easily be adapted to meet the requirements of a wide variety of applications. The presented optical element allows one to reduce the lengths of beam paths and thus to decrease laser system size and complexity.
ZERODUR based optical systems for quantum gas experiments in space
Abstract Numerous quantum technologies make use of a microgravity environment e.g. in space. Operating in this extreme environment makes high demands on the experiment and especially the laser system regarding miniaturization and power consumption as well as mechanical and thermal stability. In our systems, optical modules consisting of ZERODUR® based optical benches with free-space optics are combined with fiber components. Suitability of the technology has been demonstrated in the successful sounding rocket missions FOKUS, KALEXUS and MAIUS-1. Here, we report on our toolkit for stable optical benches including mounts, fixed and adjustable mirrors as well as polarization maintaining fiber …
Simultaneous modulation transfer spectroscopy on transitions of multiple atomic species for compact laser frequency reference modules
We present a technique for simultaneous laser frequency stabilization on transitions of multiple atomic species with a single optical setup. The method is based on modulation transfer spectroscopy and the signals are separated by modulating at different frequencies and electronically filtered. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate simultaneous spectroscopy of the potassium D$_1$, D$_2$ and rubidium D$_2$ transitions. The technique can easily be extended to other atomic species and allows the development of versatile and compact frequency reference modules.