Measurement of Thermal Noise in Multilayer Coatings with Optimized Layer Thickness

Abstract

A standard quarter-wavelength multilayer optical coating will produce the highest reflectivity for a given number of coating layers, but in general it will not yield the lowest thermal noise for a prescribed reflectivity. Coatings with the layer thicknesses optimized to minimize thermal noise could be useful in future generation interferometric gravitational wave detectors where coating thermal noise is expected to limit the sensitivity of the instrument. We present the results of direct measurements of the thermal noise of a standard quarter-wavelength coating and a low noise optimized coating. The measurements indicate a reduction in thermal noise in line with modeling predictions.

8 pages, 14 figures

References in corpus (1)

• Titania-doped tantala/silica coatings for gravitational-wave detection

Cited by in corpus (34)

• GW150914: The Advanced LIGO Detectors in the Era of First Discoveries
• The Sensitivity of the Advanced LIGO Detectors at the Beginning of Gravitational Wave Astronomy
• Amorphous optical coatings of present gravitational-wave interferometers
• Mechanical loss in state-of-the-art amorphous optical coatings
• Brownian Thermal Noise in Multilayer Coated Mirrors
• Coherent Cancellation of Photothermal Noise in GaAs/Al${}_{0.92}$Ga${}_{0.08}$As Bragg Mirrors
• Measurements of mechanical thermal noise and energy dissipation in optical dielectric coatings
• Optical and mechanical properties of ion-beam-sputtered Nb${}_2$O${}_5$ and TiO${}_2$-Nb${}_2$O${}_5$ thin films for gravitational-wave interferometers
• Exploration of co-sputtered Ta${}_2$O${}_5$-ZrO${}_2$ thin films for gravitational-wave detectors
• Material loss angles from direct measurements of broadband thermal noise
• Effect of interference on thermal noise and coating optimization in dielectric mirrors
• Electric noise spectra of a near-surface nitrogen vacancy center diamond with a protective layer
• Optical Levitation of a Mirror for Reaching the Standard Quantum Limit
• Minimum Noise Optical Coatings for Interferometric Detectors of Gravitational Waves
• Investigation of the Young's modulus and thermal expansion of amorphous titania-doped tantala films
• Ternary Quarter Wavelength Coatings for Gravitational Wave Detector Mirrors: Design Optimization via Exhaustive Search
• On the performance limits of coatings for gravitational wave detectors made of alternating layers of two materials
• Optical and mechanical properties of ion-beam-sputtered MgF${}_2$ thin films for gravitational-wave interferometers
• Escape Time Characterization of Pendular Fabry-Perot
• Measuring axion gradients with photon interferometry (MAGPI)
• Development of ion-beam sputtered silicon nitride thin films for low-noise mirror coatings of gravitational-wave detectors
• Thermorefringent noise in crystalline optical materials
• Angular trapping of a linear-cavity mirror with an optical torsional spring
• Determination of compressive stress in thin films using micro-machined buckled membranes
• Advanced technologies for future ground-based, laser-interferometric gravitational wave detectors
• Sensing and vetoing loud transient noises for the gravitational-wave detection
• Optimal Design of Coatings for Mirrors of Gravitational Wave Detectors: Analytic Turbo Solution via Herpin Equivalent Layers
• Switching Times in Fabry-Perot Measurements
• Characterization of ion-beam-sputtered AlF${}_3$ thin films for gravitational-wave interferometers
• Noise Estimate of Pendular Fabry-Perot through Reflectivity Change
• Thermal Noise Reduction in Ternary Optical Coatings: From Ti::GeO${}_2$-Based Ternary Systems to High Index Materials
• Trade-off between quantum and thermal fluctuations in mirror coatings yields improved sensitivity of gravitational-wave interferometers
• Pass-through Mach-Zehnder topologies for macroscopic quantum measurements
• Accurate Switching Currents Measurements in Quantum Washboard Potential