FAST FREQUENCY STABILIZATION OF A DIODE-LASER-PUMPED MONOLITHIC ND:YAG LASER WITH AN EXTRA-CAVITY ELECTRO-OPTIC MODULATOR

Abstract A frequency stabilization of a diode-laser-pumped monolithic ring Nd:YAG laser is described using an extra-cavity electro-optic modulator as a fast phase transducer. A feedback bandwidth of 600 kHz has been obtained and the frequency noise relative to the reference cavity has been fully reduced to the shot-noise limit at frequency less than 10 kHz. The minimum frequency noise has been reached to 7 x 10 -5 Hz/√Hz using the cavity input power of 30 mW.