====== How to setup a Littrow laser======

===== Preperation =====

Before you start to setup/build the laser you should get everything together, that is needed. 

=== You need ===
	* Laser diode
	* Collimation lense
	* Grating
	* Waveplate (lamda/2) with holder
	* Thorlabs collimation tube
	* Collimation tool
	* Laser housing
	* Wavemeter
	* Thermal compounds

===== Getting started =====
<note important>Make sure you are earthed, to avoid ESD!</note>
  - Put the laserdiode and the collimation lense into the collimation tube.
  - Now use the collimation tool to collimate the beam over a long distance.
  - When the beam is well aligned put thermal compound on the tube and put it into the holder.
  - Make sure that the beam orientation is in a way that as much as possible lines of the grating will be illuminated.
  - Put in the grating and look for a position where the lasing starts.
  - Now do a little bit of fine adjustment to set the correct frequency, using a wavemeter. When this is done fix the grating.
  - Use the heigth screw to find the lowest current value where the lasing process begins.
  - In the end put in the waveplate and align it to get the lowest current setpoint for the lasing process.