A laser setup for rubidium cooling dedicated to space applications

Abstract

We present the complete characterization of a laser setup for rubidium cooling dedicated to space applications. The experimental setup is realized with commercial off-the-shelf fiber components suitable for space applications. By frequency doubling two fiber laser diodes at 1560 nm, we produce the two optical frequencies at 780 nm required for atomic cooling of $^{87}$Rb. The first laser is locked on saturated absorption signal and long term frequency drift has been canceled using a digital integrator. The optical frequency of the second laser is controlled relatively to the first one by a frequency comparison method. A full characterization of the setup, including frequency stability evaluation and frequency noise measurement has been performed. The optical frequency doubling module has been submitted to environmental tests to verify its compatibility with space applications.