Experimental realization of a 12,000-finesse laser cavity based on a low-noise microstructured mirror

authored by

Johannes Dickmann, Steffen Sauer, Jan Meyer, Mika Gaedtke, Thomas Siefke, Uwe Brückner, Jonathan Plentz, Stefanie Kroker

Abstract

The most precise measurement tools of humankind are equipped with ultra-stable lasers. State-of-the-art laser stabilization techniques are based on external cavities, that are limited by noise originated in the coatings of the cavity mirrors. Microstructured mirror coatings (so-called meta-mirrors) are a promising technology to overcome the limitations of coating noise and therewith pave the way towards next-generation ultra-stable lasers. We present experimental realization of a 12,000-finesse optical cavity based on one low-noise meta-mirror. The use of the mirrors studied here in cryogenic silicon cavities represents an order of magnitude reduction in the current limiting mirror noise, such that the stability limit due to fundamental noise can be reduced to 5 × 10

⁻¹⁸.

Organisation(s)

Photonics - Optical Analytics, Sensing and Spectroscopy
QuantumFrontiers

External Organisation(s)

Technische Universität Braunschweig
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
National Metrology Institute of Germany (PTB)

Type

Article

Journal

Communications Physics

Volume

ISSN

2399-3650

Publication date

20.01.2023

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy(all)

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01131-1 (Access: Open)

BibTeX

@article{6fb0880e6c5d4e0ab840da96ac61dba0,
title = "Experimental realization of a 12,000-finesse laser cavity based on a low-noise microstructured mirror",
abstract = "The most precise measurement tools of humankind are equipped with ultra-stable lasers. State-of-the-art laser stabilization techniques are based on external cavities, that are limited by noise originated in the coatings of the cavity mirrors. Microstructured mirror coatings (so-called meta-mirrors) are a promising technology to overcome the limitations of coating noise and therewith pave the way towards next-generation ultra-stable lasers. We present experimental realization of a 12,000-finesse optical cavity based on one low-noise meta-mirror. The use of the mirrors studied here in cryogenic silicon cavities represents an order of magnitude reduction in the current limiting mirror noise, such that the stability limit due to fundamental noise can be reduced to 5 × 10 −18.",
author = "Johannes Dickmann and Steffen Sauer and Jan Meyer and Mika Gaedtke and Thomas Siefke and Uwe Br{\"u}ckner and Jonathan Plentz and Stefanie Kroker",
note = "Funding Information: Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany{\textquoteright}s Excellence Strategy—EXC-2123 QuantumFrontiers—390837967. J.D. and S.K. also acknowledge partial support by European Association of National Metrology Institutes. This project (20FUN08 NEXTLASERS) has received funding from the EMPIR programme co-financed by the Participating States and from the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. We thank Uwe Sterr (PTB) and Ernst Rasel (LUH) for fruitful discussions.",
year = "2023",
month = jan,
day = "20",
doi = "10.1038/s42005-023-01131-1",
language = "English",
volume = "6",
journal = "Communications Physics",
issn = "2399-3650",
publisher = "Springer Nature",
number = "1",
}