Extreme non-linear response of ultra-narrow optical transitions in cavity QED for laser stabilization

Abstract

We explore the potential of direct spectroscopy of ultra-narrow optical transitions of atoms localized in an optical cavity. In contrast to stabilization against a reference cavity, which is the approach currently used for the most highly stabilized lasers, stabilization against an atomic transition does not suffer from Brownian thermal noise. Spectroscopy of ultra-narrow optical transitions in a cavity operates in a very highly saturated regime in which non-linear effects such as bistability play an important role. From the universal behavior of the Jaynes-Cummings model with dissipation, we derive the fundamental limits for laser stabilization using direct spectroscopy of ultra-narrow atomic lines. We find that with current lattice clock experiments, laser linewidths of about 1 mHz can be achieved in principle, and the ultimate limitations of this technique are at the 1 $\mu$ Hz level.

5 pages, 4 figures

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• Strong Coupling on a Forbidden Transition in Strontium and Nondestructive Atom Counting
• Non-linear Spectroscopy of Sr Atoms in an Optical Cavity for Laser Stabilization
• Large Energy Superpositions via Rydberg Dressing
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• Dynamics of bad-cavity enhanced interaction with cold Sr atoms for laser stabilization
• Critical phenomena and nonlinear dynamics in a spin ensemble strongly coupled to a cavity. I. Semiclassical approach
• Prospects for a bad cavity laser using a large ion crystal
• Phase diagram for injection locking a superradiant laser
• Quantum resonant optical bistability with a narrow atomic transition: bistability phase diagram in the bad cavity regime
• Magnetically Induced Optical Transparency With Ultra-Narrow Spectrum