Optical properties of a silicon ultrastable cavity with crystalline mirrors (original) (raw)
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A sub-40-mHz-linewidth laser based on a silicon single-crystal optical cavity
Nature Photonics, 2012
State-of-the-art optical oscillators based on lasers frequency stabilized to high finesse optical cavities are limited by thermal noise that causes fluctuations of the cavity length. Thermal noise represents a fundamental limit to the stability of an optical interferometer and plays a key role in modern optical metrology. We demonstrate a novel design to reduce the thermal noise limit for optical cavities by an order of magnitude and present an experimental realization of this new cavity system, demonstrating the most stable oscillator of any kind to date. The cavity spacer and the mirror substrates are both constructed from single crystal silicon and operated at 124 K where the silicon thermal expansion coefficient is zero and the silicon mechanical loss is small. The cavity is supported in a vibration-insensitive configuration, which, together with the superior stiffness of silicon crystal, reduces the vibration related noise. With rigorous analysis of heterodyne beat signals among three independent stable lasers, the silicon system demonstrates a fractional frequency stability of 1 × 10 −16 at short time scales and supports a laser linewidth of <40 mHz at 1.5 µm, representing an optical quality factor of 4 × 10 15 .
Ultrastable Silicon Cavity in a Continuously Operating Closed-Cycle Cryostat at 4 K
Physical Review Letters, 2017
We report on a laser locked to a silicon cavity operating continuously at 4 K with 1 × 10 −16 instability and a median linewidth of 17 mHz at 1542 nm. This is a tenfold improvement in shortterm instability, and a 10 4 improvement in linewidth, over previous sub-10 K systems. Operating at low temperatures reduces the thermal noise floor, and thus is advantageous toward reaching an instability of 10 −18 , a long-sought goal of the optical clock community. The performance of this system demonstrates the technical readiness for the development of the next generation of ultrastable lasers that operate with ultranarrow linewidth and long-term stability without user intervention.
Development of an Ultra-Stable Cryogenic Silicon Optical Cavity
2023
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Physical Review A, 2006
We perform detailed studies of state-of-the-art laser stabilization to high finesse optical cavities, revealing fundamental mechanical thermal noise-related length fluctuations. We compare the frequency noise of lasers tightly locked to the resonances of a variety of rigid Fabry-Perot cavities of differing lengths and mirror substrate materials. The results are in agreement with the theoretical model proposed in K. Numata, A. Kemery, and J. Camp ͓Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 250602 ͑2004͔͒. The results presented here on the fundamental limits of FP references will impact planning and construction of next generation ultrastable optical cavities.
Temperature-independent optical cavities for laser frequency stabilization
arXiv (Cornell University), 2022
We propose a method for thermal expansion compensation of reference monolithic optical cavities for laser frequency stabilization. Two schemes of optical cavities are considered: a Fabry-Perot interferometer with a crimp ring and a whispering-gallery-mode cavity with a clamp. In each scheme, thermal expansion compensation is achieved due to the strained connection of the cavity with an element made of a material with a high coefficient of thermal expansion. The temperature region of the cavities' optical length stabilization is estimated.
Thermal tuning of a silicon photonic crystal cavity infilled with an elastomer
Proceedings of SPIE, 2011
Thermal tuning of the transmission of an elastomer infilled photonic crystal cavity is studied. An elastomer has a thermal expansion-induced negative thermo-optic coefficient that leads to a strong decrease of the refractive index upon heating. This property makes elastomer highly suitable for thermal tuning of the transmission of a cavity, which is demonstrated by global infilling of a hole-type silicon photonic crystal slab and global thermal tuning. In the temperature range 20-60 0 C the cavity peak shows a pronounced elastomer-induced blue shift of 2.7 nm, which amply overcompensates the red shift arising from the thermo-optic property of the silicon. These results qualify the elastomer for tuning by local optical heating.
Nanophotonic Materials and Systems II, 2005
In the past few years, many studies have been carried out to use the ability of light to transport information into silicon-based integrated photonic circuits. The realization of an efficient silicon-based light source is therefore necessary but however challenging. Lasing cannot be easily achieved from silicon emission because of its indirect bandgap. Therefore, one solution proposed is to use other efficient emitters, like rare earth, into silicon or Silicon On Insulator based microcavities. Silica microdisk has been demonstrated to support high-Q whispering-gallery modes, and can be upgraded to ultra-high-Q toroidal microcavities by a CO2 laser melting process. Microdisk high Q-factor balances the low gain generally obtained from the active medium. Thus, those microcavities may be good candidates for silicon-based laser. In this paper, the fabrication and room temperature operation of silica microdisk associated with Er-doped silicon rich oxide is presented. Er atoms are excited at the 351 nm wavelength via the silicon clusters, giving to the material a high photonic capture section, and therefore a good photoluminescence efficiency. We demonstrate efficient coupling of erbium atoms to high-Q whispering-gallery modes. The photoluminescence spectrum is then theoretically treated. The WGM resonances are thus identified. We also discuss the contribution of the spot excitation and the weak coupling to the higher radial order modes. Finally, the polarization dependence of the observed modes is investigated, and the experimental results are compared to our analytical model of disk-shape cavities. Those results give us to think that an integrated laser should be soon achieved.
Physical Review A, 2001
An extensive characterization of high finesse optical cavities used in cavity QED experiments is described. Different techniques in the measurement of the loss and phase shifts associated with the mirror coatings are discussed and their agreement shown. Issues of cavity field mode structure supported by the dielectric coatings are related to our effort to achieve the strongest possible coupling between an atom and the cavity.
Optics Express, 2012
Frequency stabilization of a diode laser locked to a whispering gallery mode (WGM) reference resonator made of a MgF 2 single crystal is demonstrated. The strong thermal dependence of the difference frequency between two orthogonally polarized TE an TM modes (dual-mode frequency) of the optically anisotropic crystal material allows sensitive measurement of the resonator's temperature within the optical mode volume. This dual-mode signal was used as feedback for self-referenced temperature stabilization to nanokelvin precision, resulting in frequency stability of 0.3 MHz/h at 972 nm, which was measured by comparing with an independent ultrastable laser.