8 research outputs found
Active laser frequency stabilization using neutral praseodymium (Pr)
We present a new possibility for the active frequency stabilization of a
laser using transitions in neutral praseodymium. Because of its five outer
electrons, this element shows a high density of energy levels leading to an
extremely line-rich excitation spectrum with more than 25000 known spectral
lines ranging from the UV to the infrared. We demonstrate the active frequency
stabilization of a diode laser on several praseodymium lines between 1105 and
1123 nm. The excitation signals were recorded in a hollow cathode lamp and
observed via laser-induced fluorescence. These signals are strong enough to
lock the diode laser onto most of the lines by using standard laser locking
techniques. In this way, the frequency drifts of the unlocked laser of more
than 30 MHz/h were eliminated and the laser frequency stabilized to within
1.4(1) MHz for averaging times >0.2 s. Frequency quadrupling the stabilized
diode laser can produce frequency-stable UV-light in the range from 276 to 281
nm. In particular, using a strong hyperfine component of the praseodymium
excitation line E = 16 502.616_7/2 cm^-1 -> E' = 25 442.742_9/2 cm^-1 at lambda
= 1118.5397(4) nm makes it possible - after frequency quadruplication - to
produce laser radiation at lambda/4 = 279.6349(1) nm, which can be used to
excite the D2 line in Mg^+.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figure