1. Stable Laser System for Probing the Clock Transition at 578 nm in Neutral Ytterbium
- Author
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Z. W. Barber, T.M. Fortier, Leo W. Hollberg, Christopher W. Oates, C. W. Hoyt, Jason Stalnaker, and Scott A. Diddams
- Subjects
Ytterbium ,Distributed feedback laser ,Materials science ,business.industry ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Laser ,Waveguide (optics) ,Atomic clock ,law.invention ,Finesse ,Optics ,chemistry ,law ,Nd:YAG laser ,Fiber laser ,Optoelectronics ,business - Abstract
We describe a new laser system we have developed to probe the ultra-narrow 1S0 harr 3P0 clock transition at 578 nm in neutral ytterbium. The yellow light is produced by sum frequency generation in a periodically poled waveguide. With approximately 100 mW each from a fiber laser and Nd:YAG laser, we produce 10 mW of visible light. Stabilization of the laser to a resonance of a high finesse, environmentally isolated cavity has enabled resolution of spectroscopic features as narrow as 5 Hz.
- Published
- 2007