Polarization orthogonalizer for a pair of laser beams with nearly equal frequencies

Sin Hyuk Yim, T. H. Yoon, D. Cho

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    12 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    We have demonstrated a device to produce an overlapping pair of orthogonally polarized laser beams with a 3 GHz frequency offset out of a single laser beam containing the two frequency components with the same linear polarization. Our design is based on a Michelson interferometer formed by a polarizing beam splitter and two quarter-waveplates. Such a device can be used to make the polarization states of a carrier and a sideband produced through modulation mutually orthogonal. An orthogonally polarized pair of coherent laser beams can be used for an interferometric measurement of a small displacement in a heterodyne scheme or to produce a large-contrast coherent population trapping signal from alkali metal atoms. As a demonstration we used the device to achieve 40% contrast for a coherent population trapping signal from a rubidium vapor cell.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number126104
    JournalReview of Scientific Instruments
    Volume79
    Issue number12
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2008

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Instrumentation

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