Detailed Study of an Efficient Blue Laser Source by Second-Harmonic Generation in a Semimonolithic Cavity for the Cooling of Strontium Atoms

Bruce Klappauf (1, 2) , Yannik Bidel (1, 2, 3) , David Wilkowski (1, 2) , Thierry Chanelière (1, 2) , Robin Kaiser (1, 2)

1 LOD - Laboratoire Ondes et Désordre
2 INLN - Institut Non Linéaire de Nice Sophia-Antipolis
3 Applied Physics Department [Stanford]

We have constructed a blue laser source consisting of an amplified, grating tuned diode laser that is frequency doubled by a KNbO3 crystal in a compact standing wave cavity and produces as much as 200 mW of internal second-harmonic power. We have analyzed the unusual characteristics of this standing wave cavity to clarify the advantages and disadvantages of this configuration as an alternative to a ring cavity for second-harmonic generation. We emphasize its efficiency and stability and the fact that it has an inherent walk-off compensation, similar to twin crystal configurations. We demonstrate its utility for laser cooling and trapping of earth alkalis by stabilizing the laser to the 461-nm transition of strontium, using a heat pipe, and then forming a magneto-optic trap of strontium from a Zeeman-slowed atomic beam.

Domaines: Optique [physics.optics]

Bruce Klappauf, Yannik Bidel, David Wilkowski, Thierry Chanelière, Robin Kaiser. Detailed Study of an Efficient Blue Laser Source by Second-Harmonic Generation in a Semimonolithic Cavity for the Cooling of Strontium Atoms. Applied optics, 2004, 43 (12), pp.2510-2527. ⟨hal-00023618⟩