$2\cdot 10^{-13}$ fractional laser frequency stability with a 7-cm unequal-arm Mach-Zehnder interferometer

Victor Huarcaya; Miguel Dovale Álvarez; Daniel Penkert; Stefano Gozzo; Pablo Martínez Cano; Kohei Yamamoto; Juan José Esteban Delgado; Moritz Mehmet; Karsten Danzmann; Gerhard Heinzel

doi:10.1103/PhysRevApplied.20.024078

paper

$2 \cdot 1 0^{- 13}$ fractional laser frequency stability with a 7-cm unequal-arm Mach-Zehnder interferometer

arXiv:2308.11325 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevApplied.20.024078

Abstract

To achieve sub-picometer sensitivities in the millihertz band, laser interferometric inertial sensors rely on some form of reduction of the laser frequency noise, typically by locking the laser to a stable frequency reference, such as the narrow-linewidth resonance of an ultra-stable optical cavity or an atomic or molecular transition. In this paper we report on a compact laser frequency stabilization technique based on an unequal-arm Mach-Zehnder interferometer that is sub-nanometer stable at $10 μ$ Hz, sub-picometer at $0.5$ mHz, and reaches a noise floor of $7 fm / Hz$ at 1 Hz. The interferometer is used in conjunction with a DC servo to stabilize the frequency of a laser down to a fractional instability below $4 \times 1 0^{- 13}$ at averaging times from 0.1 to 100 seconds. The technique offers a wide operating range, does not rely on complex lock acquisition procedures, and can be readily integrated as part of the optical bench in future gravity missions.

arXiv comment9 pages, 7 figures

2⋅10−13 fractional laser frequency stability with a 7-cm unequal-arm Mach-Zehnder interferometer

Abstract

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$2 \cdot 1 0^{- 13}$ fractional laser frequency stability with a 7-cm unequal-arm Mach-Zehnder interferometer