Synthesizing optical spectra using computer-generated holography techniques
Experimental control and detection of atoms and molecules often rely on optical transitions between different electronic states. In many cases, substructure such as hyperfine or spin-rotation structure leads to the need for multiple optical frequencies spaced by MHz to GHz. The task of creating mult...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2021-01-01
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| Series: | New Journal of Physics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/abe973 |
| _version_ | 1797750201576849408 |
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| author | Connor M Holland Yukai Lu Lawrence W Cheuk |
| author_facet | Connor M Holland Yukai Lu Lawrence W Cheuk |
| author_sort | Connor M Holland |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Experimental control and detection of atoms and molecules often rely on optical transitions between different electronic states. In many cases, substructure such as hyperfine or spin-rotation structure leads to the need for multiple optical frequencies spaced by MHz to GHz. The task of creating multiple optical frequencies—optical spectral engineering—becomes challenging when the number of frequencies becomes large, a situation that one could encounter in complex molecules and atoms in large magnetic fields. In this work, we point out a novel mapping between computer-generated holography (CGH) and spectrum generation via phase modulation, which is an established technique. Using this mapping, we synthesize arbitrary optical spectra by modulating a monochromatic light field with a time-dependent phase generated through CGH techniques. Our method is compatible with non-linear optical processes such as sum frequency generation and second harmonic generation. Additional requirements that arise from the finite lifetimes of excited states can also be satisfied in our approach. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, we generate spectra suitable for cycling photons on the X – B transition in CaF, and verify via optical Bloch equation simulations that one can achieve high photon scattering rates, which are important for fluorescent detection and laser cooling. Our method could offer significant simplifications in future experiments that would otherwise be prohibitively complex. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:30:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-352c74e8510041f3ac6286a910b7ca1a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1367-2630 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:30:19Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Journal of Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-352c74e8510041f3ac6286a910b7ca1a2023-08-08T15:31:52ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302021-01-0123303302810.1088/1367-2630/abe973Synthesizing optical spectra using computer-generated holography techniquesConnor M Holland0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1759-5912Yukai Lu1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7404-0767Lawrence W Cheuk2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8329-8812Department of Physics, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ 08544, United States of AmericaDepartment of Physics, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ 08544, United States of America; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Princeton University , Princeton NJ 08544, United States of AmericaDepartment of Physics, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ 08544, United States of AmericaExperimental control and detection of atoms and molecules often rely on optical transitions between different electronic states. In many cases, substructure such as hyperfine or spin-rotation structure leads to the need for multiple optical frequencies spaced by MHz to GHz. The task of creating multiple optical frequencies—optical spectral engineering—becomes challenging when the number of frequencies becomes large, a situation that one could encounter in complex molecules and atoms in large magnetic fields. In this work, we point out a novel mapping between computer-generated holography (CGH) and spectrum generation via phase modulation, which is an established technique. Using this mapping, we synthesize arbitrary optical spectra by modulating a monochromatic light field with a time-dependent phase generated through CGH techniques. Our method is compatible with non-linear optical processes such as sum frequency generation and second harmonic generation. Additional requirements that arise from the finite lifetimes of excited states can also be satisfied in our approach. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, we generate spectra suitable for cycling photons on the X – B transition in CaF, and verify via optical Bloch equation simulations that one can achieve high photon scattering rates, which are important for fluorescent detection and laser cooling. Our method could offer significant simplifications in future experiments that would otherwise be prohibitively complex.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/abe973computer-generated holographylaser coolingultracold moleculeslight–matter interactionsultracold atoms |
| spellingShingle | Connor M Holland Yukai Lu Lawrence W Cheuk Synthesizing optical spectra using computer-generated holography techniques New Journal of Physics computer-generated holography laser cooling ultracold molecules light–matter interactions ultracold atoms |
| title | Synthesizing optical spectra using computer-generated holography techniques |
| title_full | Synthesizing optical spectra using computer-generated holography techniques |
| title_fullStr | Synthesizing optical spectra using computer-generated holography techniques |
| title_full_unstemmed | Synthesizing optical spectra using computer-generated holography techniques |
| title_short | Synthesizing optical spectra using computer-generated holography techniques |
| title_sort | synthesizing optical spectra using computer generated holography techniques |
| topic | computer-generated holography laser cooling ultracold molecules light–matter interactions ultracold atoms |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/abe973 |
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