Title :
Frequency stability of spatial mode interference (tilt) locking
Author :
Slagmolen, B.J.J. ; Shaddock, D.A. ; Gray, M.B. ; McClelland, D.E.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Phys., Australian Nat. Univ., Canberra, ACT, Australia
fDate :
11/1/2002 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
This paper describes the investigation of the frequency stability of tilt locking, a technique which derives an error signal for locking a laser to an optical cavity by use of spatial-mode interference. By independently locking two lasers to the same optical cavity and measuring the beat frequency, a direct measurement of the stability of tilt locking was obtained. The beatnote exhibited a normal Allan deviation of 3.3 Hz over a time interval of 100 ms, yielding a relative frequency stability of 1.3 × 10-14. This result implies at least a fractional locking stability of 1.3 × 10-14. Moreover, this stability was limited by fluctuations in the cavity spacer length and not the tilt-locking technique.
Keywords :
fluctuations; laser frequency stability; laser mode locking; light interference; optical resonators; 100 ms; 3.3 Hz; beat frequency; cavity spacer length; error signal; fluctuations; fractional locking stability; frequency stability; independently locking; laser frequency locking; normal Allan deviation; optical cavity; relative frequency stability; spatial mode interference locking; spatial-mode interference; tilt locking; tilt-locking technique; Extraterrestrial measurements; Fluctuations; Frequency conversion; Frequency measurement; Interference; Laser mode locking; Laser stability; Optical interferometry; Optical sensors; Stability analysis;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JQE.2002.804267
