We present recent results on compact GaN based laser sources, primarily designed for cooling and trapping atoms and ions. We show various designs used for miniaturised, direct-generation laser sources in the UV-green part of the spectrum targeting multiple atomic species. We show results from a line narrowed 369nm ECDL for Yb+ cooling, a 397nm frequency stabilised source for Ca+ cooling and a 422nm butterfly packaged ECDL for Sr+ cooling.
Miniaturization of laser sources is crucial to the translation of quantum technologies from the laboratory to the real world. Typically, the lasers required for cooling and trapping of atoms and ions make up a significant footprint of the measurement system. Increasing robustness and reliability whilst removing noise sources is a key challenge whilst reducing volume. Direct generation GaN based external cavity diode lasers offer lower SWaP-C compared to traditional frequency doubled alternatives. Butterfly packaged single frequency sources operation in the blue-UV allow numerous atomic transitions including Sr, Sr+, Yb, Yb+, Mg and Ca to be targeted.
A proof-of-concept of a scanning stand-off dual-comb spectrometer for explosives detection and identification at 3 m distance is demonstrated. Detection of two types of explosives: RDX and PETN on various surfaces was carried out in reflection-absorption and backscattering modes. A scanning area of 18 cm X 18 cm (400 pixels) was covered in ~2.5 sec. Identification method was based on Pearson’s correlation coefficients between the recorded reflection-absorption (backscatter reflection) spectra and transmission (reflection) FTIR of substances, with baseline subtraction using the asymmetric least square smoothing algorithm. Detection limits of the laboratory system of < 2 ug/cm2 were achieved.
Miniaturisation of laser sources is crucial to the translation of quantum technologies from the laboratory to the real world. Typically, the lasers required for cooling and trapping of atoms and ions make up a significant footprint of the measurement system. Increasing robustness and reliability whilst removing noise sources is a key challenge whilst reducing volume. Direct generation GaN based external cavity diode lasers offer lower SWaP-C compared to traditional frequency doubled alternatives. Butterfly packaged single frequency sources operation in the blue - UV allow numerous atomic transitions including Sr, Sr+, Yt, Yb+, Mg and Ca to be targeted.
Quantum technologies containing key GaN laser components will enable a new generation of precision sensors, optical atomic clocks and secure communication systems for many applications such as next generation navigation, gravity mapping and timing since the AlGaInN material system allows for laser diodes to be fabricated over a wide range of wavelengths from the u.v. to the visible. We report our latest results on a range of AlGaInN diode-lasers targeted to meet the linewidth, wavelength and power requirements suitable for optical clocks and cold-atom interferometry systems. This includes the [5s2S1/2-5p2P1/2] cooling transition in strontium+ ion optical clocks at 422 nm, the [5s21S0-5p1P1] cooling transition in neutral strontium clocks at 461 nm and the [5s2s1/2 – 6p2P3/2] transition in rubidium at 420 nm. Several approaches are taken to achieve the required linewidth, wavelength and power, including an extended cavity laser diode (ECLD) system and an on-chip grating, distributed feedback (DFB) GaN laser diode.
Quantum technologies containing key GaN laser components will enable a new generation of high precision quantum sensors, optical atomic clocks and secure communication systems for many applications such as next generation navigation, gravity mapping and timing since the AlGaInN material system allows for laser diodes to be fabricated over a wide range of wavelengths from the u.v. to the visible. We report our latest results on a range of AlGaInN diode-lasers targeted to meet the linewidth, wavelength and power requirements suitable for optical clocks and cold-atom interferometry systems. This includes the [5s2S1/2-5p2P1/2] cooling transition in strontium† ion optical clocks at 422 nm, the [5s21S0-5p1P1] cooling transition in neutral strontium clocks at 461 nm and the [5s2s1/2 – 6p2P3/2] transition in rubidium at 420 nm. Several approaches are taken to achieve the required linewidth, wavelength and power, including an extended cavity laser diode (ECLD) system and an on-chip grating, distributed feedback (DFB) GaN laser diode.
Quantum technologies containing key GaN laser components will enable a new generation of high precision quantum sensors, optical atomic clocks and secure communication systems for many applications such as next generation navigation, gravity mapping and timing since the AlGaInN material system allows for laser diodes to be fabricated over a wide range of wavelengths from the u.v. to the visible. We report our latest results on a range of AlGaInN diode-lasers targeted to meet the linewidth, wavelength and power requirements suitable for optical clocks and cold-atom interferometry systems. This includes the [5s2S1/2-5p2P1/2] cooling transition in strontium+ ion optical clocks at 422 nm, the [5s21S0-5p1P1] cooling transition in neutral strontium clocks at 461 nm and the [5s2s1/2 – 6p2P3/2] transition in rubidium at 420 nm. Several approaches are taken to achieve the required linewidth, wavelength and power, including an extended cavity laser diode (ECLD) system and an on-chip grating, distributed feedback (DFB) GaN laser diode.
Quantum based devices offer distinct advantages over conventional technology, such as improved sensitivity for sensing applications or enhanced accuracy for metrology. To utilize this potential, a number of technical requirements must be met, such as the cooling and trapping of neutral atoms for their use as quantum systems. We present our work on InGaN-based semiconductor cooling lasers for a variety of atomic species such as strontium, magnesium and ytterbium whos target wavelength was met by quantum-well composition engineering. Results on growth-epitaxy, facet coating as well as different configurations such as ECDL and MOPAs are presented, depending on the requirement of the application.
Quantum technologies containing key GaN laser components will enable a new generation of high precision quantum sensors, optical atomic clocks and secure communication systems for many applications such as next generation navigation, gravity mapping and timing since the AlGaInN material system allows for laser diodes to be fabricated over a wide range of wavelengths from the u.v. to the visible. We report our latest results on a range of AlGaInN diode-lasers targeted to meet the linewidth, wavelength and power requirements suitable for optical clocks and cold-atom interferometry systems. This includes the [5s2S1/2-5p2P1/2] cooling transition in strontium+ ion optical clocks at 422 nm, the [5s21S0-5p1P1] cooling transition in neutral strontium clocks at 461 nm and the [5s2s1/2 – 6p2P3/2] transition in rubidium at 420 nm. Several approaches are taken to achieve the required linewidth, wavelength and power, including an extended cavity laser diode (ECLD) system and an on-chip grating, distributed feedback (DFB) GaN laser diode.
Quantum technologies containing key GaN laser components will enable a new generation of precision sensors, optical atomic clocks and secure communication systems for many applications such as next generation navigation, gravity mapping and timing since the AlGaInN material system allows for laser diodes to be fabricated over a wide range of wavelengths from the u.v. to the visible. We report our latest results on a range of AlGaInN diode-lasers targeted to meet the linewidth, wavelength and power requirements suitable for optical clocks and cold-atom interferometry systems. This includes the [5s2S1/2-5p2P1/2] cooling transition in strontium+ ion optical clocks at 422 nm, the [5s21S0-5p1P1] cooling transition in neutral strontium clocks at 461 nm and the [5s2 s1/2 – 6p2P3/2] transition in rubidium at 420 nm. Several approaches are taken to achieve the required linewidth, wavelength and power, including an extended cavity laser diode (ECLD) system and an on-chip grating, distributed feedback (DFB) GaN laser diode.
Quantum technologies containing key GaN laser components will enable a new generation of precision sensors, optical atomic clocks and secure communication systems for many applications such as next generation navigation, gravity mapping and timing since the AlGaInN material system allows for laser diodes to be fabricated over a wide range of wavelengths from the u.v. to the visible.
consumption and financial burden of the multiple light sources required for such systems. The AlGaInN material system allows for single transverse mode laser diodes to be fabricated with optical powers up to 100 mW over a wide range from ~380 nm up to ~530 nm. By tuning the indium content and thickness of the GaInN quantum well, we have developed a range of AlGaInN diode-lasers targeted to meet the wavelength and power requirements suitable for optical clocks and atom interferometry systems.
One of the major limiting factors in nitride laser diode development has been the lack of a suitable low defectivity and uniform GaN substrate. Recently, single crystal growth of large area, very low dislocation-density and uniform GaN substrates are grown using a combination of high temperature and high pressure enabling a range of AlGaInN laser technology to be developed. This direct light generation at the required wavelength is crucial to reduce complexity and size of the overall system, and to ensure a high wall-plug efficiency that is critical for space and mobile applications.
We will present our development of GaN based, low SWaP, frequency-stabilised external-cavity seed and tapered amplifiers to operate at 461nm for first stage strontium cooling. This includes growth of custom optimised GaN epitaxy for operation at 461 nm, a robust ECDL geometry, a novel tapered amplifier design and important work in characterising the optical performance and minimising surface reflectivity to identify suitable working parameters.
Systems with the ability to observe and manipulate individual quantum states have been brought to applications that include among others satellite-free navigation and high-precision gravimetric sensing. Fundamentally, the applicability of quantum technology is limited by the complexity and financial burden of light sources required for such systems. These sources need to feature high optical power combined with compromised beam quality and frequency-stabilized narrow-linewidths. These parameters directly influence the performance of the quantum technology measurement system.
Semiconductor devices are able to provide high brightness over broad spectral regions through band-gap engineering. InGaN-based laser sources can be engineered to operate from 380nm to 530 nm. This aligns well with the transitions of atomic species such as strontium, magnesium and ytterbium. However, a challenge remains to offer the narrow-linewidths (<1 MHz) and the high powers (>100 mW) required for many of these applications.
We will present our development of GaN based narrow-linewidth seed and tapered amplifiers to operate at 461nm for first stage strontium cooling. This includes growth of custom optimised GaN epitaxy for operation at 461 nm, a robust ECDL geometry, a novel tapered amplifier design and important work in characterising and minimising the surface reflectivity to identify suitable working parameters. A comprehensive characterization of the device will be presented.
Here we report our recent achievements towards a compact, portable, handheld device for contactless real-time detection and identification of explosives and hazardous substances via reflectance spectroscopy in the 7.5 μm – 10 μm spectral region. The mid-IR spectroscopic measurement principle relies on selective illumination of the target using broadly tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCLs). A resonant micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS) grating enables fast wavelength tuning in the external cavity, allowing the full spectral scan to be completed in <1 ms. The diffusely backscattered light’s intensity dependence on illumination wavelength provides spectroscopic information to identify threat compounds via our spectral database, containing a large number of materials relevant in a security context. We present a handheld portable, albeit tethered, device capable of real-time identification of hazardous substances at a range of 1 m. We will outline future improvements to increase the system’s usability, such as integrated computing power, automated focusing to that allow use over a range of detection distances and spatial scanning for background subtraction.
We report on mid-IR spectroscopic measurements performed with rapidly tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCLs). Fast wavelength tuning in the external cavity is realized by a microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS) grating oscillating at a resonance frequency of about 1 kHz with a deflection amplitude of up to 10 deg. The entire spectral range of the broadband QCL can therefore be covered in just 500 μs, paving the way for real-time spectroscopy in the mid-IR region. In addition to its use in spectroscopic measurements conducted in backscattering and transmission geometry, the MOEMS-based laser source is characterized regarding pulse intensity noise, wavelength reproducibility, and spectral resolution.
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