$3\times 10^{-16}$ Stable Laser Deployed on a 4.3 km Mountain

Abstract

We present a transportable stable laser system based on a 10 cm reference cavity and an all-fiber phase-stabilized distribution network for the ${}^{171}$Yb clock wavelength. We highlight an extended cuboid cavity geometry with 4 times smaller spacer volume than a traditional cubic cavity of the same length [30]. We demonstrate repeatable acceleration sensitivities below $2\times 10^{-10}$ g${}^{-1}$ in all axes and fractional frequency instability as low as $3\times 10^{-16}$. We also demonstrate accurate distribution of the stable light over 10 m fibers below the $1\times 10^{-18}$ level in an all-fiber optic system. We report the successful deployment of the laser system to the summit of Mount Blue Sky at 4300 m, and for the first time, we report 16-digit laser instability measured outside the lab.