PRECISION PHOTONIC OSCILLATOR AND METHOD FOR GENERATING AN ULTRA-STABLE FREQUENCY REFERENCE USING A TWO-PHOTON RUBIDIUM TRANSITION
First Claim
1. An ultra-stable frequency reference generating system comprising:
- a cavity-stabilized reference laser comprising a laser source locked to a stabilized cavity to generate a stabilized laser output;
a Rubidium cell configured to be interrogated by the stabilized laser output to cause at least a two-photon Rubidium transition;
a detector to detect fluorescence resulting from spontaneous decay of the Rubidium transition; and
a frequency comb stabilizer locked to the stabilized laser output to generate an optical output for use in generating an ultra-stable frequency reference.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of an ultra-stable frequency reference generating system and methods for generating an ultra-stable frequency reference using a two-photon Rubidium transition are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a cavity-stabilized reference laser comprising a laser source is locked to a stabilized cavity. A Rubidium cell is interrogated by a stabilized laser output to cause at least a two-photon Rubidium transition and a detector may detect fluorescence resulting from spontaneous decay of the upper state Rubidium transition. The output of the detector is provided at a wavelength of the fluorescence to lock the cavity-stabilized reference laser to generate a stabilized laser output. A frequency comb stabilizer may be locked to the stabilized laser output to generate a super-continuum of optical wavelengths for use in generating an ultra-stable frequency reference.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. An ultra-stable frequency reference generating system comprising:
-
a cavity-stabilized reference laser comprising a laser source locked to a stabilized cavity to generate a stabilized laser output; a Rubidium cell configured to be interrogated by the stabilized laser output to cause at least a two-photon Rubidium transition; a detector to detect fluorescence resulting from spontaneous decay of the Rubidium transition; and a frequency comb stabilizer locked to the stabilized laser output to generate an optical output for use in generating an ultra-stable frequency reference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method to generate an ultra-stable frequency reference comprising:
-
locking a laser source to a stabilized cavity to generate a pre-stabilized laser output; further locking the laser source to a decay of a two-photon Rubidium transition to generate a stabilized laser output; and locking a frequency comb stabilizer to the stabilized laser output to generate an optical output for use in generating an ultra-stable frequency reference. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. An ultra-stable frequency reference generating system comprising:
-
a cavity lock loop to lock a laser source to a stabilized cavity and generate a pre-stabilized laser output; a frequency control loop to further lock the laser source to a decay of an upper state Rubidium transition using two photon excitation to generate a stabilized laser output; and a frequency comb stabilizer having a first frequency comb stabilizer control loop to stabilize a frequency comb relative to zero frequency and a second frequency comb stabilizer control loop to stabilize a frequency comb spacing, wherein the frequency comb stabilizer is locked to the stabilized laser output to generate optical wavelengths for use in generating an ultra-stable frequency reference. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A method to generate an ultra-stable frequency reference comprising:
-
generating a stabilized laser output from a cavity-stabilized reference laser that includes a laser source locked to a stabilized cavity; interrogating a Rubidium cell by the stabilized laser output to cause at least a two-photon Rubidium transition; and detecting fluorescence resulting from spontaneous decay of the Rubidium transition to provide a detected output at a wavelength of the fluorescence;
alocking the cavity-stabilized reference laser to the wavelength of the fluorescence; and locking a frequency comb stabilizer to the stabilized laser output to generate a continuum of optical wavelengths. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
-
Specification