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External Cavity Diode Laser for Ultra-cold Atom Experiments

Halkowski, Benjamin
Abstract
This thesis describes the design, construction and characterization of an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) within the context of AMO research – specifically, ultracold rubidium experiments. The main benefit over other forms of laser light is the ECDL’s low cost and narrow linewidth. Having a more narrow linewidth allows us to affect specific electron states, such as for laser cooling, more precisely than broader alternatives. We find that building such a laser in house is feasible with scan range up to 4 GHz. We also note that attention to external noise, through mechanical vibrations but more importantly through temperature drifts, is necessary to produce an ECDL with a stable optical frequency.
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2018-04-01
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Undergraduate Honors Theses
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Aubin, Seth
Novikova, Irina
Costelloe, Timothy
Melfi, Mary
Department
Physics
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https://scholarworks.wm.edu/handle/internal/10603
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