Metrological characterization of custom-designed 894.6 nm VCSELs for miniature atomic clocks

We report on the characterization and validation of custom-designed 894.6 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), for use in miniature Cs atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT). The laser relative intensity noise (RIN) is measured to be 1 × 10(-11) Hz(-1) at 10 Hz Fou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics express 2013-03, Vol.21 (5), p.5781-5792
Main Authors: Gruet, F, Al-Samaneh, A, Kroemer, E, Bimboes, L, Miletic, D, Affolderbach, C, Wahl, D, Boudot, R, Mileti, G, Michalzik, R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Electronics
Engineering Sciences
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Summary:We report on the characterization and validation of custom-designed 894.6 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), for use in miniature Cs atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT). The laser relative intensity noise (RIN) is measured to be 1 × 10(-11) Hz(-1) at 10 Hz Fourier frequency, for a laser power of 700 μW. The VCSEL frequency noise is 10(13) · f(-1) Hz(2)/Hz in the 10 Hz < f < 10(5) Hz range, which is in good agreement with the VCSEL’s measured fractional frequency instability (Allan deviation) of ≈ 1 × 10(-8) at 1 s, and also is consistent with the VCSEL’s typical optical linewidth of 20-25 MHz. The VCSEL bias current can be directly modulated at 4.596 GHz with a microwave power of -6 to +6 dBm to generate optical sidebands for CPT excitation. With such a VCSEL, a 1.04 kHz linewidth CPT clock resonance signal is detected in a microfabricated Cs cell filled with Ne buffer gas. These results are compatible with state-of-the-art CPT-based miniature atomic clocks exhibiting a short-term frequency instability of 2-3 × 10(-11) at τ = 1 s and few 10(-12) at τ = 10(4) s integration time..
ISSN:1094-4087
1094-4087
DOI:10.1364/oe.21.005781