Beat-note jitter suppression in a dual-frequency laser using optical feedback

Opt Lett. 2007 May 1;32(9):1099-101. doi: 10.1364/ol.32.001099.

Abstract

An efficient locking technique based on optical feedback is demonstrated to suppress jitter on the rf beat note between the two modes of a dual-frequency Yb:Er glass laser. The method consists of a self-injection process in which one selected mode serves as a master oscillator to lock and stabilize the second mode via a frequency-shifted optical feedback. The beat note adjusted near 170 MHz was stabilized with an accuracy of 250 mHz using an optical feedback loop with a double pass through an acousto-optic modulator. The beating note can be tuned over 300 kHz by controlling the reference oscillator. The extensions and limitations of the technique are discussed.