Carl Edwin Wieman

US Patent:

58087435, Sep 15, 1998

Filed:

Apr 5, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/629361

Inventors:

Michelle S. E. Stephens - Boulder CO
Peter A. Roos - Boulder CO
Carl E. Wieman - Boulder CO
Eric A. Cornell - Boulder CO

Assignee:

Board of Regents of the University of Colorado - Boulder CO

International Classification:

G01N 1114

US Classification:

356373

Abstract:

This invention provides an inexpensive, sensitive sensor to measure target position, velocity and vibration based on optical feedback-induced fluctuations in the operating frequency of a diode laser. The sensor comprises a diode laser, an optical frequency discriminator to measure the laser operating frequency, and an electronic signal analyzer to obtain the modulation frequency of the laser operating frequency. This invention further includes two calibration mechanisms for vibration amplitude measurement. In a first calibration mechanism the diode laser is mounted on a laser vibrator, which vibrates the laser relative to the target. In a second calibration mechanism a frequency modulator is coupled to the diode laser to modulate the operating frequency.

US Patent:

60091118, Dec 28, 1999

Filed:

Apr 17, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/062629

Inventors:

Kristan L. Corwin - Boulder CO
Carter F. Hand - San Francisco CA
Ryan J. Epstein - Loveland CO
Carl E. Wieman - Boulder CO

Assignee:

University Technology Corporation - Boulder CO

International Classification:

H01S 313

US Classification:

372 32

Abstract:

A robust method of stabilizing a diode laser frequency to an atomic transition is provided. The method employs Zeeman shift to generate an anti-symmetric signal about a Doppler-broadened atomic resonance, and, therefore, offers a large recapture range as well as high stability. The frequency of a 780 nm diode laser, stabilized to such a signal in Rb, drifts less than 0. 5 MHz. sub. pk-pk (one part in 10. sup. 9) in thirty-eight hours. This tunable frequency lock may be inexpensively constructed, requires little laser power, rarely loses lock, and may be extended to other wavelengths by using different atomic species.