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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 61: Laserentwicklung: Halbleiterlaser
Q 61.8: Talk
Friday, March 6, 2009, 12:15–12:30, VMP 8 HS
A Solid State Laser System for Production of Antihydrogen via Double-Charge Exchange — •Andreas Müllers, Frank Markert, Martin Scheid, Daniel Kolbe, and Jochen Walz — Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Institut für Physik
A two-stage semiconductor laser system has been developed for the excitation of Cesium atoms to Rydberg states. The first transition from 6S1/2 to 6P3/2 requires laser-light with a wavelength of 852 nm. This is provided by a grating-stabilized laser-diode. For excitation to Rydberg-states, a frequency doubled master-oscillator power-amplifier (mopa) system is used. The mopa-system consist of a grating stabilized laser-diode with an anti-reflection coated front facet and a tapered-amplifier. For second-harmonic generation, a compact resonator with a optical length of only 15 cm has been set up. It emits laser light with a wavelength of 511 nm, corresponding to an excitation to the 37D5/2-state. Due to the wide tunability of the used semiconductor lasers, Rydberg states from n=20 (517 nm) up to the ionization limit (508 nm) are accessible.
The laser system has been developed for the double-charge-exchange production of antihydrogen as performed by the ATRAP collaboration at CERN. Rydberg-cesium interacts with positrons to form Positronium Cs* + e+ → Ps* + Cs+. Antihydrogen is then produced by interaction with antiprotons Ps* + p → H^* + e−. The lasers have been installed at CERN and have shown reliable performance under beam-time conditions.