Dynamic Self-Locking of an OEO Containing a VCSEL

A method of dynamic self-locking has been demonstrated to be effective as a means of stabilizing the wavelength of light emitted by a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) that is an active element in the frequency-control loop of an optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) designed to implement an atomic clock based on an electro-magnetically-induced-transparency (EIT) resonance. This scheme can be considered an alternative to the one described in “Optical Injection Locking of a VCSEL in an OEO” (NPO-43454), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 33, No. 7 (July 2009), page 33. Both schemes are expected to enable the development of small, low-power, high- stability atomic clocks that would be suitable for use in applications involving precise navigation and/or communication.