Simple, low-noise piezo driver with feed-forward for broad tuning of external cavity diode lasers

Abstract

We present an inexpensive, low-noise ($<260\mu$V${}_{rms}$, 0.1~Hz - 100~kHz) design for a piezo driver suitable for frequency tuning of external-cavity diode lasers. This simple driver improves upon many commercially available drivers by incorporating circuitry to produce a `feed-forward' signal appropriate for making simultaneous adjustments to the piezo voltage and laser current, enabling dramatic improvements in mode-hop-free laser frequency tuning range. We present the theory behind our driver's operation, characterize its output noise, and demonstrate its use in absorption spectroscopy on the rubidium D${}_1$ line.

6 pages, 7 figures. This version updated to correct figure 3

References in corpus (4)

• Interference-filter-stabilized external-cavity diode lasers
• An Ultra-High Stability, Low-Noise Laser Current Driver with Digital Control
• An ultra-low noise, high-voltage piezo driver
• Noise reduction of a Libbrecht--Hall style current driver

Cited by in corpus (1)

• A simple, powerful diode laser system for atomic physics