Raman Lasing with a Cold Atom Gain Medium in a High-Finesse Optical Cavity

We demonstrate a Raman laser using cold Rb-87 atoms as the gain medium in a high-finesse optical cavity. We observe robust continuous wave lasing in the atypical regime where single atoms can considerably affect the cavity field. Consequently, we discover unusual lasing threshold behavior in the system causing jumps in lasing power, and propose a model to explain the effect. We also measure the intermode laser linewidth, and observe values as low as 80 Hz. The tunable gain properties of this laser suggest multiple directions for future research.