Title: NIST Develops Compact Ultrastable Optical References for Quantum Technologies
Summary:
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed compact, ultrastable lasers with linewidth as low as 1 Hz. These lasers are designed for use in various quantum technologies, including optical atomic clocks and distributed fiber environmental sensors.
The key to achieving this stability lies in the laser’s reference cavity resonator. By locking the laser’s frequency to a specific mode of the resonator, the laser inherits the resonator’s stability. To achieve sub-1 Hz linewidth, NIST researchers have carefully considered the fundamental limits of cavity length stability, thermal and structural properties of cavity materials, and high-precision laser locking techniques.
The compact ultrastable lasers are held in vacuum to remove airpath fluctuations that could disturb the stability. NIST is investigating optimal materials and methods to generate ultrastable laser frequencies in the smallest possible volume, enabling their use in compact and deployable quantum technology platforms.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/compact-ultrastable-optical-references
Keywords: linewidth, cavity, spectroscopy
