Development of a frequency stabilized 422-nm diode-laser system and its application to a strontium-88 single ion optical frequency standard

A frequency standard based on a laser source probing an ultra narrow optical transition in a single trapped and laser-cooled 88Sr+ ion is under development at the National Research Council of Canada. This thesis consists of the development of a new frequency-stabilized diode-laser system at 422 nm which has been used for Doppler laser cooling of the ion as well as fluorescence detection of the ion's electronic state. The linewidth of this source has been narrowed to 2 MHz and its absolute frequency has remained stabilized to an atomic reference transition for periods exceeding 12 hours. Results using this new source are presented demonstrating a significant reduction in ion temperature enabling the linewidth of its ultranarrow transition to be resolved at the Hz level. Measurements of the absolute optical transition frequencies between hyperfine components of the 5s 2S1/2--6p 2P1/2 transition in both 85Rb and 87Rb at 422 nm are also presented.