Semiconductor Laser Experiments with Rubidium Vapor with Applications to Fundamental and Applied Physics

A variety of topics in semiconductor laser experiments with rubidium are presented. Experimental investigations of the nonlinear Faraday effect are discussed, including bichromatic experiments in which optical repopulation pumping in a Raman induced birefringence scheme is isolated. Applications of the nonlinear Faraday effect to optical locking of semiconductor lasers and to experiments investigating quantum mechanics in noninertial frames are presented. The design and development of a novel spontaneous Raman spectrometer based on injection locked laser diode arrays and a resonance absorption Rayleigh filter is discussed, and the design of a rubidium based "Rydberg voltmeter" for use with a neutrino mass measurement is described.