Coupled optical resonance laser locking

Abstract

We have demonstrated simultaneous laser frequency stabilization of a UV and IR laser, to coupled transitions of ions in the same spectroscopic sample, by detecting only the absorption of the UV laser. Separate signals for locking the different lasers are obtained by modulating each laser at a different frequency and using lock-in detection of a single photodiode signal. Experimentally, we simultaneously lock a 369nm and a 935nm laser to the (sup2)S(sub1/2) (sup2)P(sub1/2) and (sup2)D(sub3/2) (sup3)D(sub[3/2]1/2) transitions, respectively, of Yb(sup+) ions generated in a hollow cathode discharge lamp. Stabilized lasers at these frequencies are required for cooling and trapping Yb(sup+) ions, used in quantum information and in high precision metrology experiments. This technique should be readily applicable to other ion and neutral atom systems requiring multiple stabilized lasers.