Advice from the CCL on the use of unstabilized lasers as standards of wavelength: the helium-neon laser at 633 nm

Published

January 1, 2009

Author(s)

Jack A. Stone Jr., Jennifer Decker, Patrick Gill, Andrew Lewis, Patrick Juncar, Daniele Rovera, Miguel Villiseid

Abstract

The Consultative Committee for Length has recommended that red (633 nm) unstabilized Helium-Neon lasers, operating on the 3s2¿_2p4 transition, should be included in the list of standard frequencies for realization of the meter. This article discusses several topics relating to the recommendation: motivations for including an unstabilized laser in the list of standard frequencies, considerations in assigning a value and an uncertainty for the frequency of the transition, and potential problems associated with 640 nm contamination of the 633 nm transition. The uncertainty assigned to the wavelength of the 633 nm transition is sufficiently large that the wavelength value can be guaranteed independently of operating or construction details of the laser, and independent of the variations in isotopic mix that might be encountered in commercial laser tubes.

Citation

Metrologia

Volume

46

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

optical frequency standard, wavelength reference, wavelength standard

Citation

Stone, J. , Decker, J. , Gill, P. , Lewis, A. , Juncar, P. , Rovera, D. and Villiseid, M. (2009), Advice from the CCL on the use of unstabilized lasers as standards of wavelength: the helium-neon laser at 633 nm, Metrologia (Accessed October 10, 2025)