Abstract

Two diode-pumped tunable Nd:YAG lasers locked to sub-Doppler transitions of ¹²⁷I₂ and ¹³³Cs₂ are used as a source for two-wavelength interferometry. The synthetic wavelength is highly stable and accurate, owing to the frequency stability of the locked lasers and the precise determination of the frequency difference between Cs₂ and I₂ transitions. The dense spectra of the two molecular absorbers allows selection of synthetic wavelength Λ over a wide range, between 8.5 mm and more than 1 m, thus enabling distance measurements with a large nonambiguity range. Fringe contrast and phase-shifting methods are used to measure the synthetic phase. An accuracy of 70 μm is achieved for synthetic wavelength Λ ~ 19 mm, corresponding to a phase interpolation accuracy of Λ/260.

© 1996 Optical Society of America

Frequency stabilization of Nd:YAG lasers to ¹³³Cs₂ sub-Doppler lines near 1064 nm

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