SBIR-STTR Award

It is not feasible to produce a compact optical clock, small enough to fly on satellites, simply by reducing the size or packaging of current laboratory systems. New approaches and component technologies are needed to achieve such an objective.nbsp; Trapped ions systems used in optical space grade atomic clocks and navigation systems need mode-hop free compact ultrastable laser systems able to operate for years without power as well as frequency jumps. OEwaves Inc. offers to develop and demonstrate a compact diode laser system producing all the required wavelengths for operation of an Yb Ion Clocks. It will include 370 nm, 935 nm, 436 nm, and 760 nm lasers. The system will feature the properties required for long duration space applications. The system will be based on a semiconductor laser locked to monolithic microcavities using self-injection locking technique.The objectives of Phase I of this SBIR project are to prepare a complete design of the compact laser system suitable for Yb ion clock. The design will be supported by numerical simulations as well as results of the earlier experiments. The design will include three major parts:design a packaged compensated WGM resonator with compensation factor exceeding 100;design a narrow-line 436 nm clock laser package based on the compensated resonator; the package should be characterized with 5x10-15 Allan deviation measured at 0.1-1s of averaging time.design the compact laser system operating at 370 nm, 935 nm and 760 nm suitable for the Yb clock and using COTS parts wherever possiblenbsp;nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;

OEwaves Inc. offers to develop a compact diode laser system producing all the required wavelengths for operation of an Yb Ion Clocks. It will include 370 nm, 935 nm, 436 nm and 760 nm lasers. The system will feature the properties required for long duration space applications. The system will be based on a semiconductor laser locked to monolithic microcavities using self-injection locking technique. This technique results in a complete suppression of mode hops in the laser during its operational lifetime. The microcavity will not only stabilize the frequency of the laser, but will also be used to measure and stabilize the power of the laser. The microcavity provides a modulatable laser that features exceptionally low residual amplitude modulation, allowing a robust lock to the clock transition of interest.nbsp; The proof of principle validation of the technique was supported by earlier OEwaves efforts. In Phase II of this Project we propose to demonstrate experimentally and deliver to the customer two most critical components of the set, comprising a 370 nm laser system and an ultastable cavity. The other lasers will be demonstrated at OEwaves and the measurement data will be delivered to the customer. The complete set of narrow-line ultra-stable modulatable diode lasers that can be instrumental in integration of a miniature Yb space ion clock will be packaged in Phase III of the project.nbsp;At the end of Phase II, we expect a prototype of 370nm laser to achieve better than 10-10/g acceleration sensitivity, required frequency stability (varies depending on the laser use). The reference cavity will have the same stability in a wide wavelength (frequency) range determined by the optical transparency of its host material, which typically is broader than 300 nm ndash; 2,000 nm. The quality factor of the device will exceed 108, which will add to simplification in locking optical sources to the modes of the resonator.nbsp;