Polarization spectroscopy of atomic erbium in a hollow cathode lamp

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates polarization spectroscopy of erbium atoms in a hollow cathode lamp to stabilize a diode laser at 401 nm, combining theoretical modeling with experimental validation for optimal laser stabilization.

Contribution

It provides a detailed theoretical model and experimental analysis of erbium polarization spectra in a hollow cathode lamp for laser stabilization.

Findings

Theoretical spectra closely match experimental data.

Optimal conditions for laser stabilization depend on HCL current and laser intensities.

Polarization spectroscopy enables stable laser locking at 401 nm.

Abstract

In this work we perform polarization spectroscopy of erbium atoms in a hollow cathode lamp (HCL) for the stabilization of a diode laser to the 401-nm transition. We review the theory behind Doppler-free polarization spectroscopy, theoretically model the expected erbium polarization spectra, and compare the numerically calculated spectra to our experimental data. We further analyze the dependence of the measured spectra on the HCL current and the peak intensities of our pump and probe lasers to determine conditions for optimal laser stabilization.