TY - JOUR
T1 - Nonlinear spectroscopy of Sr atoms in an optical cavity for laser stabilization
AU - Christensen, Bjarke Takashi Røjle
AU - Henriksen, Martin Romme
AU - Schäffer, Stefan Alaric
AU - Westergaard, Philip Grabow
AU - Ye, Jun
AU - Holland, Murray
AU - Thomsen, Jan Westenkær
PY - 2015/11/6
Y1 - 2015/11/6
N2 - We study the nonlinear interaction of a cold sample of Sr88 atoms coupled to a single mode of a low finesse optical cavity in the so-called bad cavity limit, and we investigate the implications for applications to laser stabilization. The atoms are probed on the weak intercombination line |5s21S0)-|5s5p3P1) at 689 nm in a strongly saturated regime. Our measured observables include the atomic induced phase shift and absorption of the light field transmitted through the cavity represented by the complex cavity transmission coefficient. We demonstrate high signal-to-noise-ratio measurements of both quadratures - the cavity transmitted phase and absorption - by employing frequency modulation (FM) spectroscopy (noise-immune cavity-enhanced optical-heterodyne molecular spectroscopy). We also show that when FM spectroscopy is employed in connection with a cavity locked to the probe light, observables are substantially modified compared to the free-space situation in which no cavity is present. Furthermore, the nonlinear dynamics of the phase dispersion slope is experimentally investigated, and the optimal conditions for laser stabilization are established. Our experimental results are compared to state-of-the-art cavity QED theoretical calculations.
AB - We study the nonlinear interaction of a cold sample of Sr88 atoms coupled to a single mode of a low finesse optical cavity in the so-called bad cavity limit, and we investigate the implications for applications to laser stabilization. The atoms are probed on the weak intercombination line |5s21S0)-|5s5p3P1) at 689 nm in a strongly saturated regime. Our measured observables include the atomic induced phase shift and absorption of the light field transmitted through the cavity represented by the complex cavity transmission coefficient. We demonstrate high signal-to-noise-ratio measurements of both quadratures - the cavity transmitted phase and absorption - by employing frequency modulation (FM) spectroscopy (noise-immune cavity-enhanced optical-heterodyne molecular spectroscopy). We also show that when FM spectroscopy is employed in connection with a cavity locked to the probe light, observables are substantially modified compared to the free-space situation in which no cavity is present. Furthermore, the nonlinear dynamics of the phase dispersion slope is experimentally investigated, and the optimal conditions for laser stabilization are established. Our experimental results are compared to state-of-the-art cavity QED theoretical calculations.
U2 - 10.1103/physreva.92.053820
DO - 10.1103/physreva.92.053820
M3 - Journal article
SN - 2469-9926
VL - 92
JO - Physical Review A (Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics)
JF - Physical Review A (Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics)
M1 - 053820
ER -