A reliable cw Lyman-$\alpha$ laser source for future cooling of antihydrogen

TL;DR

This paper presents a reliable continuous-wave Lyman-alpha laser at 121.56 nm, crucial for antihydrogen cooling, achieved through four-wave mixing in mercury with two-photon resonance enhancement.

Contribution

It introduces a stable cw Lyman-alpha laser source at 121.56 nm using four-wave mixing, advancing antihydrogen cooling techniques.

Findings

Successful demonstration of a cw Lyman-alpha laser at 121.56 nm

Enhanced power through two-photon resonance in four-wave mixing

Potential for improved antihydrogen cooling applications

Abstract

We demonstrate a reliable continuous-wave (cw) laser source at the 1\,$S$--2\,$P$ transition in (anti)hydrogen at 121.56\,nm (Lyman-$\alpha$) based on four-wave sum-frequency mixing in mercury. A two-photon resonance in the four-wave mixing scheme is essential for a powerful cw Lyman-$\alpha$ source and is well investigated.