Sub-kHz-linewidth VECSELs for cold atom experiments

Paulo Hisao Moriya; Yeshpal Singh; Kai Bongs; Jennifer E. Hastie

doi:10.1364/OE.390982

Sub-kHz-linewidth VECSELs for cold atom experiments

Paulo Hisao Moriya
, Yeshpal Singh
, Kai Bongs
, Jennifer E. Hastie

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

32 Citations (Scopus)

106 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

We report and characterize sub-kHz linewidth operation of an AlGaInP-based VECSEL system suitable for addressing the narrow cooling transition of neutral strontium atoms at 689 nm. When frequency-stabilized to a standard air-spaced Fabry-Perot cavity (finesse 1000) via the Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) technique, it delivers output power >150 mW in a circularly-symmetric single transverse mode with low frequency and intensity noise. The optical field was reconstructed from the frequency noise error signal via autocorrelation and the Wiener-Khintchine theorem, leading to an estimated linewidth of (125±2) Hz. Optical beat note measurements were performed against a commercial locked laser system and a second, almost identical, VECSEL system resulting in linewidths of 200 Hz and 160 Hz FWHM, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a VECSEL compatible with the narrowest of lines (few hundred Hz) used for cooling and trapping atoms and ions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	15943-15953
Number of pages	11
Journal	Optics Express
Volume	28
Issue number	11
Early online date	13 May 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.390982
Publication status	Published - 25 May 2020

Keywords

cold atom experiments
sub-kHz-linewidth
VECSEL system

Access to Document

10.1364/OE.390982Licence: CC BY 4.0

Moriya-etal-OE-2020-Sub-kHz-linewidth-VECSELs-for-cold-atom-experimentsFinal published version, 1.89 MBLicence: CC BY 4.0

Jennifer Hastie
- jennifer.hastiestrath.acuk
- Institute Of Photonics - Professor
- SUPA
- Measurement, Digital and Enabling Technologies
Person: Academic

6 Finished

QT Hub for Sensors and Metrology Network Funding - 2019 Annual Review Meeting
Moriya, P. (Principal Investigator) & Casula, R. (Co-investigator)
3/09/19 → 4/09/19
Project: Research - no external funding
QT Hub for Sensors and Metrology Network Funding - Joint Experiment II with Optical Clocks group, University of Birmingham
Moriya, P. (Principal Investigator)
3/06/19 → 21/06/19
Project: Research - no external funding
QT Hub for Sensors and Metrology Network Funding - OSA Laser Congress 2018
Moriya, P. (Principal Investigator)
3/11/18 → 9/11/18
Project: Research - no external funding

Data for: "Low phase noise operation of a cavity-stabilized 698 nm AlGaInP-based VECSEL"
Moriya, P. (Creator), University of Strathclyde, 25 Jul 2023
DOI: 10.15129/f313b62f-c982-4fe4-a797-1e2d1de12dba
Dataset
Data for: "Sub-kHz-linewidth VECSELs for cold atom experiments"
Moriya, P. (Creator), Singh, Y. (Other), Bongs, K. (Other) & Hastie, J. (Supervisor), University of Strathclyde, 29 Apr 2020
DOI: 10.15129/6a8ad2c5-9bec-41e7-bec4-38976ad1c590
Dataset
Data for: "1-Watt Single-Frequency 689 nm VECSEL for Quantum Technologies"
Hodges, C. (Creator), Moriya, P. (Contributor) & Hastie, J. (Supervisor), University of Strathclyde, 15 Dec 2025
DOI: 10.15129/684042bc-5d96-49ff-a4e8-fe21583cd512
Dataset

32 Citations
4 Article
2 Conference contribution book
1 Abstract

Sub-kHz linewidth intracavity VECSEL-pumped OPO
Anderson, S., Moriya, P. H., Caspani, L. & Hastie, J. E., 19 Feb 2026, In: APL Photonics. 11, 2, 8 p., 026112.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
10 Downloads (Pure)
1-watt single-frequency 689 nm VECSEL for quantum technologies
Hodges, C. A., Moriya, P. H. & Hastie, J. E., 29 Dec 2025, In: Optics Express. 33, 26, p. 55185-55195 11 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
6 Downloads (Pure)
Iodine-stabilized VECSEL at 689 nm with 3×10^-13 stability
Hodges, C. A., Moriya, P. H. & Hastie, J. E., 20 Oct 2025, In: Optics Express. 33, 21, p. 45307-45317 11 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
47 Downloads (Pure)

6 Oral presentation
1 Invited talk
1 Visiting an external academic institution

Ultra-stable, iodine-locked 689 nm monolithic VECSEL
Moriya, P. (Speaker), Hodges, C. (Contributor) & Hastie, J. (Contributor)
17 Dec 2025
Activity: Talk or Presentation › Oral presentation
Ultra-coherent VECSEL for quantum-enabled position, navigation and timing
Moriya, P. (Speaker)
10 Oct 2024
Activity: Talk or Presentation › Invited talk
Development of high performance, ultralow-noise VECSELs for optical lattice clocks
Moriya, P. (Speaker) & Hastie, J. (Speaker)
26 Oct 2023
Activity: Talk or Presentation › Oral presentation

Cite this

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title = "Sub-kHz-linewidth VECSELs for cold atom experiments",

abstract = "We report and characterize sub-kHz linewidth operation of an AlGaInP-based VECSEL system suitable for addressing the narrow cooling transition of neutral strontium atoms at 689 nm. When frequency-stabilized to a standard air-spaced Fabry-Perot cavity (finesse 1000) via the Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) technique, it delivers output power >150 mW in a circularly-symmetric single transverse mode with low frequency and intensity noise. The optical field was reconstructed from the frequency noise error signal via autocorrelation and the Wiener-Khintchine theorem, leading to an estimated linewidth of (125±2) Hz. Optical beat note measurements were performed against a commercial locked laser system and a second, almost identical, VECSEL system resulting in linewidths of 200 Hz and 160 Hz FWHM, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a VECSEL compatible with the narrowest of lines (few hundred Hz) used for cooling and trapping atoms and ions.",

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doi = "10.1364/OE.390982",

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AU - Moriya, Paulo Hisao

AU - Singh, Yeshpal

AU - Bongs, Kai

AU - Hastie, Jennifer E.

PY - 2020/5/25

Y1 - 2020/5/25

N2 - We report and characterize sub-kHz linewidth operation of an AlGaInP-based VECSEL system suitable for addressing the narrow cooling transition of neutral strontium atoms at 689 nm. When frequency-stabilized to a standard air-spaced Fabry-Perot cavity (finesse 1000) via the Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) technique, it delivers output power >150 mW in a circularly-symmetric single transverse mode with low frequency and intensity noise. The optical field was reconstructed from the frequency noise error signal via autocorrelation and the Wiener-Khintchine theorem, leading to an estimated linewidth of (125±2) Hz. Optical beat note measurements were performed against a commercial locked laser system and a second, almost identical, VECSEL system resulting in linewidths of 200 Hz and 160 Hz FWHM, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a VECSEL compatible with the narrowest of lines (few hundred Hz) used for cooling and trapping atoms and ions.

AB - We report and characterize sub-kHz linewidth operation of an AlGaInP-based VECSEL system suitable for addressing the narrow cooling transition of neutral strontium atoms at 689 nm. When frequency-stabilized to a standard air-spaced Fabry-Perot cavity (finesse 1000) via the Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) technique, it delivers output power >150 mW in a circularly-symmetric single transverse mode with low frequency and intensity noise. The optical field was reconstructed from the frequency noise error signal via autocorrelation and the Wiener-Khintchine theorem, leading to an estimated linewidth of (125±2) Hz. Optical beat note measurements were performed against a commercial locked laser system and a second, almost identical, VECSEL system resulting in linewidths of 200 Hz and 160 Hz FWHM, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a VECSEL compatible with the narrowest of lines (few hundred Hz) used for cooling and trapping atoms and ions.

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Sub-kHz-linewidth VECSELs for cold atom experiments

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