Double resonance optical pumping spectrum and its application for frequency stabilization of a laser diode

We present double resonance optical pumping (DROP) spectra for the 5P(3/2)-4D(3/2) transition and the 5P(3/2)-4D(5/2) transition of Rb-87 and we use these spectra for frequency stabilization in the 1.5 mum region. The spectra, compared to the conventional double resonance spectrum, show a good signal-to-noise ratio and a narrow spectral linewidth for laser frequency stabilization. The different intensities of the hyperfine states were attributed to the different rates of double resonance optical pumping into the other ground state. When we stabilized the frequency of a 1.5 mum laser diode to the DROP spectrum, the best frequency stability was 1x10(-11) after 100 s. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.