Laser frequency shift up to 5 GHz with a high-efficiency 12-pass 350-MHz acoustooptic modulator

“We demonstrate a novel laser frequency shift scheme using a 12-pass 350-MHz acousto-optic modulator (AOM). This AOM system shows better performance compared to ordinary acousto-optic modulation schemes. The frequency of the incident laser beam is shifted by 4.2 GHz with the total diffraction efficiency as high as 11%, and the maximum frequency shift is 5 GHz. Combining the ±1st order diffraction, laser signals with up to 10 GHz frequency difference can be obtained, which fulfill most frequency shift requirements of laser cooling and coherent manipulation experiments with alkali metal atoms.”

Published under license by AIP Publishing.