JOKARUS - Design of a compact optical iodine frequency reference for a sounding rocket mission

We present the design of a compact absolute optical frequency reference for space applications based on hyperfine transitions in molecular iodine with a targeted fractional frequency instability of better than $3\cdot 10^{-14}$. It is based on a micro-integrated extended cavity diode laser with integrated optical amplifier, fiber pigtailed second harmonic generation wave-guide modules, and a quasi-monolithic spectroscopy setup with operating electronics. The instrument described here is scheduled for launch end of 2017 aboard the TEXUS 54 sounding rocket as an important qualification step towards space application of iodine frequency references and related technologies. The payload will operate autonomously and its optical frequency will be compared to an optical frequency comb during its space flight

Saturation Spectroscopy of Iodine in Hollow-core Optical Fibre

We present high-resolution spectroscopy of Iodine vapour that is loaded and trapped within the core of a hollow-core photonic crystal fibre (HC-PCF). We compare the observed spectroscopic features to those seen in a conventional iodine cell and show that the saturation characteristics differ significantly. Despite the confined geometry it was still possible to obtain sub-Doppler features with a spectral width of ~6 MHz with very high contrast. We provide a simple theory which closely reproduces all the key observations of the experiment.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure

Hyperfine structure of molecular iodine measured using a light source with a laser linewidth at the megahertz level

The hyperfine structure of the absorption lines of molecular iodine at 531 nm was measured using a low-cost, coin-sized light source with a laser linewidth at the megahertz level. The measured hyperfine splittings were found to be systematically smaller than those measured using a narrow-linewidth diode laser. The theoretical fit of the measured hyperfine splittings to a four-term Hamiltonian, including the electric quadrupole, spin-rotation, tensor spin-spin, and scalar spin-spin interactions, does not clarify the observed systematic deviation in the measurement, but instead results in deviated hyperfine constants from reliable literature values beyond the uncertainties. Therefore, the theoretical fit, which is usually used to validate the measurement, does not provide the validation function in the case of megahertz level laser linewidths

Rotation Dependence of Electric Quadrupole Hyperfine Interaction in the Ground State of Molecular Iodine by High-Resolution Laser Spectroscopy

Doppler-free high-resolution spectroscopy is applied to molecular iodine at 532 nm by Nd:YAG lasers. The main hyperfine components as well as the crossover lines are measured for R(56)32−0 and P(54)32−0 transitions by heterodyne beating of two I2-stabilized lasers. The measured hyperfine splittings including both main and crossover lines are fitted to a four-term Hamiltonian, which includes the electric quadrupole, spin–rotation, tensor spin–spin, and scalar spin–spin interactions, with an average deviation of ∼1 kHz. Absolute values of the electric quadrupole hyperfine constants for both the upper and the lower states are obtained. The rotation dependence of the ground-state (v\u22=0) electric quadrupole constant eQq\u22 is found to be eQq\u22(J)=−2452.556(2)−0.000164(5)J(J+1)−0.000000005(2)J2(J+1)2 MHz