Microwave sidebands for atomic physics experiments by period one oscillation in optically injected diode lasers

Department of Physics, Swansea University - Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK

^a s.j.eriksson@swansea.ac.uk

Received: 25 July 2011
Accepted: 12 October 2011

Abstract

We show that nonlinear dynamics in diode lasers with optical injection leads to frequency tunable microwave sidebands which are suitable for atomic physics experiments. We demonstrate the applicability of the sidebands in an experiment where rubidium atoms are magneto-optically trapped with both the trap and the re-pump optical frequencies derived from one optically injected laser. We find linewidth narrowing in the optical spectrum of the injected laser at both the injection frequency and the sideband frequency. With strong optical injection which leads to frequency locking we find a complete linewidth transfer from the master to the slave. Further applications are discussed.