A stable 671 nm external cavity diode laser with output power exceeding 150 mW suitable for laser cooling of lithium atoms

Abstract: We report the design and performance of a Littrow-type 671 nm External Cavity Diode Laser (ECDL) that delivers output power greater than 150 mW and features enhanced passive stability. The main body of the ECDL is constructed using titanium to minimize temperature related frequency drifts. The laser diode is mounted in a cylindrical mount that allows vertical adjustments while maintaining thermal contact with the temperature stabilized base plate. The wavelength tuning is achieved by horizontal displacement of the diffraction grating about an optimal pivot point. The compact design increases the robustness and passive stability of the ECDL and the stiff but light-weight diffraction grating-arm reduces the susceptibility to low-frequency mechanical vibrations. The linewidth of the ECDL is ~360 kHz. We use the 671 nm ECDL, without any additional power amplification, for laser cooling and trapping of lithium atoms in a magneto-optical trap. This simple, low-cost ECDL design using off-the-shelf laser diodes without anti-reflection coating can also be adapted to other wavelengths.