Patent ID: 8565274
Filing Date: 2013-10-22
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. A device that stabilizes a resonance of an optical resonator with respect to a laser frequency from the laser, comprising: a laser that produces a laser output beam at the laser carrier frequency; the optical resonator placed in an optical path of the laser output beam to receive light of the laser output beam; an optical coupler that couples the optical resonator to the optical path to receive the light of the laser output beam and to produce an optical output, the optical coupler structured and positioned relative to the optical resonator to provide, at an optical filter mode frequency different from the laser carrier frequency, optical coupling that is not under a critical coupling condition under which light coupled into the optical resonator is completely trapped inside the optical resonator; and an optical modulator, in the optical path of the laser output beam between the laser and the optical resonator, to modulate the laser output beam to produce a modulation sideband at which optical coupling of the light in the modulation sideband by the optical coupler into the optical resonator is near the critical coupling condition to thermally stabilize the resonator by optical absorption of light in the modulation sideband, wherein the modulation sideband is different in frequency from the optical filter mode frequency.