In the fields of atomic physics, quantum sensing, and precision measurement, 852 nm lasers are essential for the resonant excitation and manipulation of the cesium (Cs) D2 transition (6S1/2→6P3/2). While significant global progress has been made in developing 852 nm laser based on distributed feedback (DFB) lasers and external cavity diode lasers (ECDL), the burgeoning demand for portable and integrated quantum instruments imposes stringent requirements on miniaturization and long-term, maintenance-free operation. To address the challenge of mode competition in Faraday lasers, this work demonstrates a frequency-stabilized semiconductor laser based on an atomic frequency-selective architecture. By utilizing a customized Faraday Anomalous Dispersion Optical Filter (FADOF) for frequency selection, the laser wavelength automatically corresponds to the Cs 852 nm D2 transition, offering “Plug-and-play” operation. To further enhance integration, we propose and demonstrate a miniaturized Faraday laser architecture that resolves the instability caused by the mismatch between the FADOF transmission bandwidth and the free spectral range (FSR) of the external cavity. By employing a 7000 Gs magnetic field, the FADOF bandwidth is actively broadened to ∼15 GHz, while the cavity length is concurrently compressed to 30 mm to maximize FSR to effectively suppressing unstable mode competition. The resulting laser achieves a highly compact dimension of 102×109×96mm3. Performance testing demonstrates a Lorentzian fitted linewidth of 16.4kHz and a 1-s frequency stability of 3.05×10−13 after modulation transfer spectroscopy (MTS)-based frequency locking. This robust and autonomous 852 nm laser source provides a critical technological foundation for the miniaturization of high-performance quantum sensors.
Chen et al. (Fri,) studied this question.