Laser frequency stabilization in the 10 range via optimized modulation transfer spectroscopy on the Rb D line.

We present a high-performance laser frequency stabilization method using modulation transfer spectroscopy (MTS) on the rubidium D transition line. A substantial improvement of the laser frequency stability was achieved by searching for the optimal diameter and intensity settings of the probe and pump beam. The frequency instability measured from the beat frequency of two locked external cavity diode lasers (ECDLs) reached a short-term stability of 4.

Moving-frame imaging of transiting cold atoms for precise long-range transport.

Transporting cold atoms between interconnected vacuum chambers is an important technique for increasing the versatility of cold atom setups, particularly for those that couple atoms to photonic devices. In this report, we introduce a method where we are able to image the atoms at all points during transport via moving optical dipole trap. Cooled Rb atoms are transported ∼50 cm into an auxiliary vacuum chamber while being monitored with a moving-frame imaging system for which in-situ characterization of the atom transport is demonstrated.

Photon-pair generation from a chip-scale Cs atomic vapor cell.

The realization of a narrowband photonic quantum source based on an atomic device is considered essential in the practical development of photonic quantum information science and technology. In this study, we present the first step toward the development of a photon-pair source based on a microfabricated Cs atomic vapor cell. Time-correlated photon pairs from the millimeter-scale Cs vapor cell are emitted via the spontaneous four-wave mixing process of the cascade-type 6S-6P-8S transition of Cs.

Maximized atom number for a grating magneto-optical trap via machine-learning assisted parameter optimization.

We present a parameter set for obtaining the maximum number of atoms in a grating magneto-optical trap (gMOT) by employing a machine learning algorithm. In the multi-dimensional parameter space, which imposes a challenge for global optimization, the atom number is efficiently modeled via Bayesian optimization with the evaluation of the trap performance given by a Monte-Carlo simulation. Modeling gMOTs for six representative atomic species - Li, Na, Rb, Sr, Cs, Yb - allows us to discover that the optimal grating reflectivity is consistently higher than a simple estimation based on balanced optical molasses.

Chip-Scale Ultra-Low Field Atomic Magnetometer Based on Coherent Population Trapping.

We report a chip-scale atomic magnetometer based on coherent population trapping, which can operate near zero magnetic field. By exploiting the asymmetric population among magnetic sublevels in the hyperfine ground state of cesium, we observe that the resonance signal acquires sensitivity to magnetic field in spite of degeneracy. A dispersive signal for magnetic field discrimination is obtained near-zero-field as well as for finite fields (tens of micro-tesla) in a chip-scale device of 0.

Optical phase-locking of two extended-cavity diode lasers by serrodyne modulation.

We report the optical phase-locking of two extended-cavity diode lasers with a frequency difference of 6.9 GHz by serrodyne modulation. The bandwidth of the phase-locking loop is extended up to 9.

Mie resonance-enhanced pumping and detection efficiency for shallow nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond.

We investigate Mie resonances of a diamond nano-resonator as a means to enhance the pumping and detection efficiency of shallow nitrogen-vacancy color centers. We show it is possible to tune a couple of high-order modes of a single resonator to each absorption and emission spectrum of the color center, and thereby the resonator plays a dual role of pump field concentration and emission field guiding. Furthermore superposition of the resonator field and the uncoupled near field results in even stronger pump intensity in the shallow top layer of the resonator.

Generation of 578-nm yellow light over 10 mW by second harmonic generation of an 1156-nm external-cavity diode laser.

578-nm yellow light with an output power of more than 10 mW was obtained using a waveguide periodically-poled-lithium-niobate crystal as a nonlinear medium for second harmonic generation, which is the highest output power at this wavelength using second harmonic generation of a solid state laser source without an enhancement ring cavity, to our knowledge. To achieve this result we made a high power 1156-nm external-cavity diode laser with the maximum output power of more than 250 mW. This system is expected to be an excellent alternative to the system using the sum-frequency generation with the advantage of simplicity and cost-effectiveness, and will be used as a clock laser of the ytterbium optical lattice clock with robust and reliable operation.