The ability to control the frequency of an external-cavity diode laser (ECDL) is an essential component for undergraduate laboratories and atomic physics research. Typically the housing for the ECDL's diffraction grating and piezoelectric transducer is either purchased commercially or machined from metal. Here, we present an alternative to these commonly used options that utilizes 3D printing, a tool available in many physics departments. We characterize the performance of our ECDL system using atomic spectroscopy and self-heterodyne interferometry and show that it is sufficient for use in undergraduate spectroscopy experiments and a number of research applications where extremely narrow laser linewidths are not necessary. The performance and affordability of 3D-printed designs make them an appealing option for future use.

中文翻译：

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3D 打印外腔二极管激光器外壳

控制外腔二极管激光器 (ECDL) 频率的能力是本科实验室和原子物理研究的重要组成部分。通常，ECDL 衍射光栅和压电换能器的外壳是从商业上购买的或由金属加工而成。在这里，我们提出了这些常用选项的替代方案，这些选项利用 3D 打印，这是许多物理部门可用的工具。我们使用原子光谱和自外差干涉法表征了我们的 ECDL 系统的性能，并表明它足以用于本科光谱实验和许多不需要极窄激光线宽的研究应用。3D 打印设计的性能和经济性使其成为未来使用的有吸引力的选择。