Cooling Lasers for Optical Clocks in Space (CLOCS)

Vescent Technologies, Inc. (Vescent) proposes to develop an ultra-compact, high-power laser system suitable for laser cooling and trapping in space-borne optical atomic clocks. In response to NASA SBIR Topic S16.08 that prioritizes the development of space-qualifiable clock component technologies, the laser system will meet a critical and as yet unmet need for high-power cooling/trapping lasers required to realize field-deployable optical clocks. Current solutions for these laser sources are large (>10 L), power hungry (> 50 W), and sensitive to temperature and vibration, making them unable to leave the laboratory. The proposed MEmbrane eXternal cavity Laser (MEXL) system will output optical powers >500 mW at fixed wavelengths that cover many relevant cooling/trapping transitions for optical lattice and trapped ion clocks. Importantly, the proposed MEXL module has a size, weight, and power (SWaP) that is commensurate with being deployed outside the laboratory, occupying an estimated volume < 500 cm3 and having an electrical-to-optical power conversion efficiency of 10% or better (offering operation with only 12 W of wall plug power). However, these MEXLs have been developed for less stringent performance in biomedical applications and have not been demonstrated in laser cooling/trapping applications that require exquisite control of the laser frequency. Leveraging its expertise in laser frequency stabilization techniques, Vescent will evaluate the frequency and intensity noise properties of commercially available miniature MEXL modules to determine their effectiveness for laser cooling and trapping in optical clocks. The results of these studies will be applied in the follow-on Phase II effort to design, build, and test ruggedized low-SWaP prototype MEXL systems that have the requisite frequency stability for laser cooling and trapping and a realistic pathway to flight.