Introduction

Extended-cavity diode lasers (ECDLs) are sources of coherent and frequency-stabilized light widely used in quantum technologies, but with potential applications in other fields like sensing and environmental gas analysis. Given the increasing demand of portable devices, we developed a compact and inexpensive laser with improved features in terms of stability and tunability.

Technical features

The key feature of our laser device is to decouple the fine frequency adjustment from the coarse one, ensuring greater robustness against mechanical stress and hysteresis and better stability against mode jumps compared to more standard designs. The device can also be frequency locked to an external reference. In our tests we achieved a line width of around 300 kHz which can be further reduced if necessary. The simple and compact design is suitable for optical systems where a high level of stability is required, such as portable gravimeters and accelerometers, optical clocks or spectroscopy devices eg. in gas analysis. [TRL4].

Possible Applications

• Stable and transportable optical setups;
• Sensing (e.g. gravimeters, accelerometers);
• Space applications;
• Quantum technologies;
• Environmental measures (e.g. gas analysis).

Advantages

• Frequency tunability;
• Robustness against misalignment and hysteresis;
• Made of inexpensive components;
• Simple and compact assembly;
• Narrow line-width.