This paper discusses adapting the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm to design refractive free-form optical elements for custom beam tailoring, particularly to convert powerful diode laser outputs into high-quality Gaussian beams. A distinctive feature of the algorithm is its ability to design thin-profile optical elements (less than 5 wavelengths), manufacturable with high precision using industrial grayscale lithography. Experimental results are presented for transforming a 455 nm, 6 W diode laser beam into an efficient pump source for Ti:Sa lasers, demonstrating the algorithm’s potential to enhance diode laser applications in scientific and industrial settings.
This study details the experimental use of a combined error signal (CES) method in Ramsey spectroscopy with a pulsed Rb CPT atomic clock to counteract light shift frequencies. By employing a linear combination of two error signals, generated during different free evolution times in a pulse sequence, this method effectively neutralizes field shift impacts. The precise calibration of coefficient allows for an error signal that remains constant despite varying field shifts. Experimentally, this technique has proven to reduce the effects of fluctuations in optical radiation and modulating microwave signal power, which can significantly enhance the long-term stability of atomic frequency standards.
This study proposes a method for reconstructing the wavefront phase of coherent radiation using a physical model of light propagation, instead of Fourier transforms. The method uses a back-propagating beam with a conjugated optical phase to efficiently account for real properties of optical elements. Experimental demonstration is provided of beam formation in a real optical system with a pre-defined transverse intensity distribution with the help of a phase spatial light modulator (SLM), whose state is calculated by using the proposed method on Zemax software for light propagation modelling.
This study examines the efficiency of spin hyper-polarization of xenon nuclei via spin-exchange optical pumping in an optically opaque medium of rubidium vapor with almost complete absorption of resonant radiation. A numerical model is presented that takes into account the depletion of broadband pumping in opaque medium. The study shows that the proposed method of estimating average rubidium polarization from absorption measurements of the optical pump radiation is applicable. The authors also demonstrate theoretically and experimentally the creation of a xenon polarization gradient in an optically opaque medium and propose a technique to maximize signal from gradient-polarized xenon in NMR spectroscopy.
This study explores a Rb CPT atomic clock using two counter-propagating waves with orthogonal circular polarisation. By suppressing the optical pumping effect, the clock demonstrates substantial (several times) improvement in CPT contrast compared to the conventional single circularly polarised wave configuration. The use of two counter-propagating beams also allows for positive interference between two photon transitions excited by anti-parallel waves. A double-pass optical layout improves short-term stability by 1.5 times, achieving a result of 4.5×10–11 over 1 second using a 5-mm long optical cell.
The present work proposes and studies a table-top 129Xe spin-exchange optical pumping polariser implementing a novel concept of interchangeable small-volume gas cells. The identified effect of relatively broadband medium absorption enabled efficient polarisation of 129Xe nuclear spins within volumes of tens of millilitres by the radiation from commercial diode lasers with output powers of several W and the output line width of about 1 nm. Details of the developed device are presented, and its application in various industrial fields are discussed.
Presented for the first time are studies of the effect of optical medium density on the possibility of suppression of light field shift of a coherent population trapping (CPT) resonance excited with multi-component radiation generated by modulation of the injection current of a pumping single-frequency diode laser. It is shown experimentally and theoretically that the possibility of suppressing CPT resonance light shift depends on the optical density of the medium.
Developed and characterised for the first time is a quantum vector magnetometer using coherent population trapping (CPT) in 87Rb vapour and external magnetic field compensation by 3-axis Helmholtz coils to stabilize the amplitude and spectral position of the CPT resonance excited on a magneto-sensitive (mf ≠ 0) energy level transition. To measure the magnetic field components orthogonal to the magnetometer optical axis, resonance amplitude dependence upon the transverse field strength is used, which has a maximum at zero transverse field. The proposed approach allowed measurement of the external magnetic field vector with a sensitivity exceeding 500 pT/Hz1/2.
Experimentally compared for the first time is the sensitivity of two magnetometer types implemented on a common base of rubidium atomic clock with coherent population trapping (CPT). The first magnetometer used a magneto-sensitive optically excited CPT resonance, the other measured field strength through the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) excited with alternating magnetic field. We show advantages and limitations of these promising quantum sensing technologies. Sensitivity of both types was measured under resonance excitation on the D1 line of 87Rb. We demonstrate that the СРТ magnetometer sensitivity may exceed that of the EPR device by two orders of magnitude.
The work presents a study of CPT-based atomic clocks with miniature rubidium vapour cells fabricated by direct optical bonding (DOB). This MEMS-compatible technology was for the first time used for making cells containing alkali-metal vapour. One of its important advantages is relatively low temperature (e.g. room temperature) required for cell assembly. The work discusses results of spectral measurements of DOB-fabricated cells with a volume of less than 1 cm3 , which provided stability of CPT-based atomic clocks better than 5·10–11 at 1 second and 5·10–12 at 24 hours. The obtained results suggest a significant potential of DOB for fabrication of alkali-metal vapour cells for broader application and cost reduction of atomic clocks.
We propose a novel way of radiation wavelength stabilisation in atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT). It uses quadrature-phase component of the CPT signal within the CPT resonance feedback loop and automatic wavelength locking of radiation from a VCSEL to the atomic absorption line. We demonstrate advantages and limitations of the new method applied to vapour cells with buffer gas or anti-relaxation coating. Also provided are measurements of short- and long-term stability of a CPT-based atomic clock using the proposed method with various optical cells. Discussed are the prospects of this method in chip-scale atomic clocks.
Presented for the first time is our research into reduction of energy consumption of miniaturised Rb atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT) effect at lowered microwave modulation frequency. We studied properties of a CPT-based atomic frequency standard pumped with multi-frequency radiation from sidebands of a single-frequency semiconductor laser whose injection current was modulated at subharmonics (1/2–1/6) of the frequency of Rb hyperfine ground state splitting. Pumping by third-order sidebands is the optimum when the atomic clock stability drops only slightly (by 11%), whereas energy consumption of the microwave components is reduced by a factor of 1.5.
The present work for the first time reports on studies of properties of dynamically excited coherent population trapping (CPT) resonances in cells without buffer gas (both with and without anti-relaxation coating of their inner walls). Over the 0−3 kHz range of CPT resonance scanning frequencies, the discriminant curve slope was determined, as well as measured stability of atomic clocks. The work provides details of the experiments and analyses prospects of application of results for improvement of atomic clock stability. The work also discusses the newly discovered different character of CPT resonance shape evolution in cells with and without buffer gas.
The present work for the first time presents the study of a laser system delivering into the fibre up to 250 mW of CW radiation tuneable across the 275–310-nm range with the output line width less than 5 GHz and stability of UV output power within 1%. This system can automatically set the output radiation wavelength within the range of 275–310 nm to the precision of 2 pm. UV output power stabilisation is provided by a newly proposed by the authors noise eating technology. This paper discusses details of the developed technology and the results of its application.
The present work presents a new method for enhancement of contrast of coherent population trapping resonance in Rb vapour based on feedback and fast digital processing of the error signal in the feedback loop. In the proposed method, when the frequency difference between the pump field components is detuned from the resonance of coherent population trapping, a linear combination of two measured values, — pump field power prior and after passing through the cell, — is stabilised. This parameter combination is stabilised through adjustment of the pump radiation power with an electrooptical amplitude modulator. The studied method is shown to improve CPT resonance contrast by more than two orders of magnitude, while also improving the signal-to-noise ratio more than two-fold. The possibilities and limitations of the proposed method for enhancement of CPT resonance contrast are analysed.
This work reports on possibilities of contrast enhancement of dynamically excited coherent population trapping (CPT) resonance in 87Rb vapour arising from application of feedback methods. Controlling the bichromatic pump radiation power through a feedback loop that stabilises Rb atom luminescence when scanning the frequency difference of the bichromatic pump radiation resulted in a more than an order-or-magnitude improvement in the amplitude of the CPT resonance at scanning frequencies over 100 Hz. It is established that the excursion of the pump radiation power controlled by the feedback loop under dynamic excitation is by an order of magnitude smaller than that under quasistationary excitation at scan frequencies < 1 Hz.
We present a study of the identified for the first time effect of electromagnetically-induced transparency delay in Rb
vapours on the atomic clock transition. The effect consists in the presence of a delay in the time of the maximal total
transmission of atomic vapour relative to the moment when a two-photon resonance is reached as the frequency
difference between two laser fields (FDLF) deviates around the clock transition frequency. It was found out that the
delay is higher for higher frequencies of the FDLF modulation and is accompanied by substantial evolution of the width
and shape of the coherent population trapping resonance.
This work reports for the first time development and experimental study of a laboratory prototype of an atomic clock with stability of 2×10–11τ –1/2 (Allan deviation) over time 1 s < τ < 1000 s (7×10–13 over 1000 s) on the basis of a coherent population trapping (CPT) resonance in 87Rb in a compact spherical cell having 1.3-cm diameter and without any buffer gas. Demonstrated are dependencies of the width of the studied CPT resonance upon the amplitude and modulation frequency of optical frequency difference (3.417 GHz) of a bichromatic circularly polarised pump field. For the first time, a considerable non-linearity was discovered in the dependence upon the reference difference frequency of the spectral position of the CPT resonance when the modulation frequency of the optical frequency difference is varied within a broad range.
This paper presents the results on second harmonic generation in a tuneable Yb-fibre laser with an enhancement cavity
partially coupled to the laser resonator. The maximal second harmonic output power was 880 mW at 536 nm when
pumped with 6.2 W at 976 nm. The output radiation line width of the second harmonics of the Yb-fibre laser did not
exceed 0.5 nm with a tuning range of 521–545 nm and the output power at the ends of this range 220 and 450 mW
respectively. Further presented is an analysis of different frequency doubling configurations both with and without an
enhancement cavity in a broad range of output powers of the fundamental radiation.
In this work, we present for the first time a method for quasi-smooth tuning of the second harmonic radiation of an
Nd:YVO4/LBO laser within a 60-GHz range. Practicality of this method is demonstrated at the radiation output power of
1.5 W at 532 nm. The proposed method features automatic stitching of 12-GHz continuously tuneable ranges to the
precision of the laser output line width (5 MHz). The stitching does not require a precision wavelength meter and is
based on a high-finesse scanning confocal interferometer.
This work presents for the first time the results of study of one of the simplest and most reliable configurations of a ring
fibre laser passively mode-locked due to nonlinear polarisation evolution. The laser arrangement under consideration
comprises a single phase retarding element in contrast to most widely used configurations with several wave plates or
two polarisation controllers. By means of numerical simulation based on coupled non-linear Schrödinger equations for
orthogonal polarisation components, we investigate mode-lock domain in terms of pump power and phase delay
introduced by the single polarisation control element. Changing pump power, we demonstrate the capacity of such a
simple cavity layout with only one polarisation element to operate in different lasing regimes including generation of
conventional laser pulse trains at the fundamental repetition rate, generation of double-scale partially coherent and noiselike
pulses and generation of multiple pulses per round-trip. Besides the results of a detailed numerical study, we also
announce experimental results obtained from an Er fibre laser with a single polarisation controlling element based on an
electronically driven liquid crystal. Our experimental observations are in good qualitative agreement with simulation
results and constitute a platform for creation of new simple, low-cost, and reliable self-starting fibre lasers with ultrashort
optical pulses.
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