Doppler-Free Saturation Spectroscopy with Rb vapor
By Ophelia
Doppler-free saturation spectroscopy (DFSS) is a laser locking technique. It utilizes counterpropagating lasers to slow atoms in vapor form by using a feedback loop that measures the difference between two beams’ wavelengths and correspondingly adjusts the laser. DFSS can be used to lock laser systems across many fields, such as in a magneto-optical trap, which traps atoms through oscillating magnetic fields and counterpropagating lasers. DFSS is a common undergraduate project, and here, a high school student attempts to synthesize and then create a DFSS design from the literature.