Frequency-stabilized LNA laser for application in He(23S) optical pumping

Abstract
A single-mode, standing-wave lanthanum neodymium magnesium hexaaluminate laser is described that is suitable for application in He(23S) optical pumping. The laser is frequency stabilized by reference to an external temperature-controlled Fabry–Perot étalon using simple control circuitry. Tests show that the laser can provide stable, efficient optical pumping of a collimated beam of He(23S) atoms resulting in polarizations approaching 100%.