Development of laser sources with 1-Hz linewidth using atomic coherence

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25610113
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Atomic/Molecular/Quantum electronics
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: TORII Yoshio 東京大学, 総合文化研究科, 准教授 (40306535)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: レーザー / 量子エレクトロニクス / ホローカソード放電 / ストロンチウム / レーザー分光

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We aimed to develop a method to stabilize the laser frequency not by a traditional optical resonator made of glass but by atomic coherence of strontium atoms. To realize this method, we need to prepare an atomic sample with a sufficiently large spatial density (about 50% laser light absorption). For this purpose, we first developed a special atomic oven. However it was difficult to obtain more than 10% absorption due to inter-atomic collisions inside the stainless honeycomb tube at the oven exit. We also tried hollow cathode lamps as atomic sources, but we could obtain no more than 1% absorption even after the optimization of the buffer gas.

Free Research Field

原子物理学