MOGlabs DLC202, Manual, Page: 3 / 82

Preface
Diode lasers can be wonderful things: they are efficient, compact,
low cost, high power, low noise, tunable, and cover a large range
of wavelengths. They can also be obstreperous, sensitive, and tem-
peramental, particularly external cavity diode lasers (
ECDL
s). The
mechanics and optics needed to turn a simple $10 120 mW AlGaAs
diode laser into a research-quality narrow-linewidth tunable laser
are fairly straightforward [1, 2, 3, 4], but the electronics is demanding
– and, until now, not available commercially from a single supplier,
let alone in a single unit.
The
MOG
labs range of
ECDL
controllers change that. With each
DLC
unit, we provide everything you need to run your
ECDL
, and lock it
to an atomic transition. In addition to current and temperature con-
trollers, we provide piezo drivers, sweep ramp generator, modulator
for
AC
locking, lock-in amplifier, feedback servo system, laser-head
electronics protection board, even a high-speed low-noise balanced
photodetector.
We would like to thank the many people that have contributed their
hard work, ideas, and inspiration, especially Lincoln Turner, Karl
Weber, and Jamie White, as well as those involved in previous con-
troller designs, in particular Mirek Walkiewicz and Phillip Fox.
We hope that you enjoy using the
DLC
as much as we do. Please let
us know if you have any suggestions for improvement in the
DLC
or
in this document, so that we can make life in the laser lab easier for
all, and check our website from time to time for updated information.
Robert Scholten and Alex Slavec
MOG
labs, Melbourne, Australia
www.moglabs.com
i