Frequency noise measurements of lasers locked to a rubidium mastered optical cavity

Abstract

A small, evacuated, piezoelectrically-tuned Fabry-Perot cavity is stabilized using a commercial rubidium oscillator. The cavity's resonance is measured and controlled using two diode-pumped Nd:YAG lasers; each locked to a mode of the cavity. Once controlled the cavity resonance acts as a frequency reference for the lasers. To measure the laser frequency noise, one of the laser beams is combined with a laser beam from an identical system. The beat frequency between the two lasers allows a measure of the linewidth, frequency noise and root Allan variance of a single laser. This data is reported and compared to results from more elaborate laser frequency control schemes.