Over the last several decades, developments in the control and manipulation of cold atoms, ions, and molecules have opened new doors into our understanding of the universe. In particu-lar, precision measurement and quantum information technology have provided a wealth of new knowledge. In this thesis, I present progress towards a continuous wave superradiant laser, a novel ultra-narrow linewidth laser and active frequency reference that promises to further advance precision measurement and quantum science.
In my thesis work, I have demonstrated a major milestone towards the creation of a super-radiant laser with kilosecond coherence times: continuous loading and strong collective coupling of atoms to a high finesse cavity on a forbidden optical transition. To this end, I constructed a new experiment to guide atoms through a series of spatially separated laser cooling stages and deliver a continuous flux of atoms into a travelling lattice supported by a high finesse optical cavity. Unlike many cold atomic experiments that operate in a time-sequential manner, with distinct phases for sample preparation and measurement, this system delivers a truly continuous flux of atoms. This continuous atomic apparatus is the first to demonstrate steady-state strong collective coupling on a narrow linewidth atomic transition and has the highest phase space density of any continuous atomic beam. In addition to setting the foundation for the creation of a continuous wave superra-diant laser, this work opens the door to a new generation of continuous cold atomic devices and a wealth of applications.
}, year = {2021}, journal = {Department of Physics}, volume = {Ph.D.}, pages = {111}, month = {2021-09}, publisher = {University of Colorado Boulder}, address = {Boulder}, }