Multi-channel laser system including an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) with beam polarization switching and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11960156-B2
Application number	US-202117324415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2021
Priority date	Sep 18, 2018
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

A system may include a laser source, an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) coupled to the laser source, an atom trap, and at least one optical medium coupled between the AOM and the atom trap. Furthermore, at least one piezoelectric transducer may be coupled to the at least one optical medium, and a beam polarization controller may be coupled to the at least one piezoelectric transducer.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a laser source;
an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) coupled downstream from the laser source;
an optical medium body coupled downstream from the AOM;
a backing block coupled to the optical medium body and comprising at least one of SiC and AlN;
a piezoelectric transducer coupled to the optical medium body on a side thereof opposite the backing block so that the optical medium body is between the piezoelectric transducer and the backing block; and
a beam polarization controller coupled to the piezoelectric transducer.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical medium body comprises fused silica.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical medium body comprises quartz.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the AOM comprises:
a first beamsplitter to split a first laser light beam from the laser source into a plurality of second laser light beams;
a common acousto-optic medium configured to receive the plurality of second laser light beams; and
a respective plurality of electrodes coupled to the common acousto-optic medium for each of the second laser light beams.

5. The system of claim 4 comprising a plurality of radio frequency (RF) drivers each configured to generate respective RF drive signals for each of the plurality of electrodes.

6. The system of claim 4 further comprising an intermediate beam splitter between the laser source and the AOM configured to split a third laser light beam from the first laser light beam.

7. The system of claim 1 comprising an atom trap downstream from the optical medium body.

8. A system comprising:
a laser source;
an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) coupled downstream from the laser source;
an optical medium body coupled downstream of the AOM;
a backing block coupled to the optical medium body and comprising at least one of SiC and AlN; and
a piezoelectric transducer to be coupled to a beam polarization controller, the piezoelectric transducer coupled to the optical medium body on a side thereof opposite the backing block so that the optical medium body is between the piezoelectric transducer and the backing block.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the optical medium body comprises fused silica.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the optical medium body comprises quartz.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the AOM comprises:
a first beamsplitter to split a first laser light beam from the laser source into a plurality of second laser light beams;
a common acousto-optic medium configured to receive the plurality of second laser light beams; and
a respective plurality of electrodes coupled to the common acousto-optic medium for each of the second laser light beams.

12. The system of claim 11 comprising a plurality of radio frequency (RF) drivers each configured to generate respective RF drive signals for each of the plurality of electrodes.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising an intermediate beam splitter between the laser source and the AOM configured to split a third laser light beam from the first laser light beam.

14. The system of claim 8 comprising an atom trap downstream from the optical medium body.

15. A method for controlling polarization of a modulated laser beam from an acousto-optic modulator (AOM), the method comprising:
selectively operating a polarization switching device downstream from the AOM, the polarization switching device comprising
an optical medium body,
a backing block coupled to the optical medium body and comprising at least one of SiC and AlN, and
a piezoelectric transducer coupled to the optical medium body on a side thereof opposite the backing block so that the optical medium body is between the piezoelectric transducer and the backing block.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the optical medium body comprises fused silica.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the optical medium body comprises quartz.

18. The method of claim 15 comprising an atom trap downstream from the polarization switching device.

Assignees

• Eagle Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lange Michael Ray
• Morse Randall K
• Logan Catheryn D
• Niemeier Curtis R
• Heimmermann Dean A
• Wasilousky Peter A
• Corey Christopher A
• Burberry Lee Martin

Classifications

• G02F1/113 Primary

  Circuit or control arrangements · CPC title

• G02F1/0136

  for the control of polarisation, e.g. state of polarisation [SOP] control, polarisation scrambling, TE-TM mode conversion or separation (G02F1/0353 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06E1/02

  operating upon the order or content of the data handled · CPC title

• G06N10/00

  Quantum computing, i.e. information processing based on quantum-mechanical phenomena · CPC title

• H05H3/00

  Production or acceleration of neutral particle beams, e.g. molecular or atomic beams · CPC title