Control of long-term output frequency drift in commercial dye lasers

Abstract

A simple technique using a scanning confocal Fabry-Perot etalon and a stabilized helium-neon laser is described that can be used to correct the long-term drift in output frequency of actively stabilized commercial dye lasers. Using this technique the long-term drift in the ultraviolet output frequency of an intracavity-doubled Coherent Inc. CR699-21 ring dye laser has been reduced to ≲±2 MHz.