A Digital and Compact High-Precision Locking System for Pulse Laser Repetition Frequency

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel approach that employs error amplification and ADC-based dual-mixer time-difference (ADC-based-DMTD) technique for high-precision locking of laser repetition frequency with compact size. This electronic system consists of two main components: a digitized error amplification module (EAM) and an FPGA-based digital frequency locking module (DFLM). The EAM mainly integrates a configurable frequency generator (CFG), a configurable frequency multiplier (CFM) and a mixer to process the laser pulses and a high-stability reference source (e.g., an atomic clock), enabling high-precision locking of pulse lasers operating at different repetition frequencies. By employing frequency multiplication and mixing, the EAM amplifies the laser's frequency error and performs frequency down-conversion, enhancing measurement sensitivity and reducing the hardware requirements of the back-end. The DFLM receives the EAM outputs by using an ADC-based-DMTD method to precisely measure frequency errors, then the digital proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller provides feedback to achieve accurate frequency locking. Initial testing with a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) demonstrated excellent locking performance, achieving an Allan deviation of $9.58 \times 10^{-14}$ at 10 seconds and a standard deviation (STD) of 7.7 \textmu Hz root mean square (RMS) after locking, marking a five-order-of-magnitude stability enhancement. In laboratory experiments with a custom-built femtosecond fiber laser, the system achieved robust locking of the repetition frequency, with a stability improvement from $1.51 \times 10^{-7}$ to $1.12 \times 10^{-12}$ at a 10-second gate time and an STD of 0.43 mHz RMS after locking.