High-power extended cavity laser optimized for optical pumping of Rb

We present a compact extended cavity laser (ECL) system based on a high-power laser diode optimized for maximum efficiency of the Rb optical pumping process. The system represents the crucial part of the HpXe (hyperpolarized xenon) production process. We concentrated on the ECL system optimization—linewidth matching and frequency stabilization—for the optical pumping process. We show that the intensity of optical feedback in the ECL laser influences linewidth and output power and it is possible to find an optimum value for the highest power spectral density coinciding with the absorption line of desire. At the optimum emission linewidth was reduced approximately ten times with only half of the total optical power loss.