Frequency stabilization of laser diode light-sources in satellite-to-satellite laser interferometers

摘要

The present work discusses methods of stabilizing the frequencies of commercially-available laser diodes. Laser diodes are generally compact and long-lived. The frequency stability, which makes them ideal for onboard laser interferometer light-sources, in applications such as the satellite-to-satellite tracking systems used to verify fluctuations in earth's gravity field, which, in turn, indicate other critical changes in the environment, is the key characteristic of this work. We used the devices typically operating at 780nm, and their frequencies can be stabilized using either of two systems; one, employing the Doppler-free absorption line of Rb atoms and another, using the Faraday effect of the Rb absorption line. In both cases, the use of the proper modulation frequency and amplitude improved frequency stability, overall, attaining 2.05 X10~(-12) and 2.73 X10~(-11), respectively, in the square root of the Allan variance, by measuring the beat-note between two independently-stabilized laser diodes.