  We have developed a versatile pulsed laser system for high precision
magnetometry. The operating wavelength of the system can be configured to
optically pump alkali vapors such as rubidium and cesium. The laser system
consists of an auto-locked, interference filter stabilized, external cavity
diode laser (ECDL), a tapered waveguide amplifier, and a pulsing module. The
auto-locking controller can be used by an untrained operator to stabilize the
laser frequency with respect to a library of atomic, molecular, and solid-state
spectral markers. The ECDL output can be amplified from 20 mW to 2 W in
continuous wave (CW) mode. The pulsing module, which includes an acousto-optic
modulator (AOM), can generate pulses with durations of 20 ns and repetition
rates of several MHz. Accordingly, the laser system is well suited for
applications such as gravimetry, magnetometry, and differential-absorption
lidar. In this work, we focus on magnetometric applications and demonstrate
that the laser source is suitable for optically pumping rubidium vapor. We also
describe numerical simulations of optical pumping relevant to the rubidium D1
and D2 transitions at 795 nm and 780 nm respectively. These studies are
relevant to the design and construction of a new generation of portable,
rubidium, spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) magnetometers, capable of
sensitivities of 1 fT Hz-1/2 1.
