Compact Narrow-band Laser Sources for Atom-based Sensors

The primary objective of Phase I work performed by the team of CU Aerospace and the University of Illinois is to produce single-mode, high power (>1 W), narrow linewidth (<100 kHz), diode lasers with no mode hop for pumping alkali (Rb and Cs) atoms and verify their application to atomic sensors and clocks. This effort will involve novel laser-amplifier diode architecture to enable such high performance devices. These advances will have a major impact on alkali laser based clocks and sensor systems. The results of this Phase I research will lay the foundation for developing enhanced performance single mode diode laser packages with goals of high power (>2 W) and very narrow linewidth (<10 kHz) in Phase II. Optimized designs will be fabricated and tested extensively with detailed diagnostics to evaluate each design"s performance attributes in Phase II. Our team partner the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will perform fundamental research to assist CU Aerospace with the optimization and testing of these diode lasers. Employment of the state-of-the-art and economical Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory at the University of Illinois will allow these innovative laser diode technologies to be fabricated, implemented, and examined in detail.