High-power laser diode array system for optical pumping of Rb

Abstract

We describe in this paper an experimental arrangement for optical pumping of rubidium based on a high-power laser diode array. The emission spectrum of the array was narrowed by external injection locking technique by means of cw Ti:Sa resp. an extended cavity laser (ECL) based on a high-power laser diode. The array emission spectrum was reduced with the aim to achieve maximum efficiency of the Rb optical pumping process. By way of the external injection locking technique, the power spectral density at the desired wavelength 794.76 nm was increased about 9 times. The laser system was designed to be a crucial part of the HpXe (hyperpolarized xenon) production process.