On-Axis Optical Bench for Laser Ranging Instruments in Future Gravity Missions

authored by: Yichao Yang, Kohei Yamamoto, Miguel Dovale Álvarez, Daikang Wei, Juan José Esteban Delgado, Jianjun Jia, Gerhard Heinzel, Vitali Müller
Abstract: The laser ranging interferometer onboard the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On mission proved the feasibility of an interferometric sensor for inter-satellite length tracking with sub-nanometer precision, establishing an important milestone for space laser interferometry and the general expectation that future gravity missions will employ heterodyne laser interferometry for satellite-to-satellite ranging. In this paper, we present the design of an on-axis optical bench for next-generation laser ranging which enhances the received optical power and the transmit beam divergence, enabling longer interferometer arms and relaxing the optical power requirement of the laser assembly. All design functionalities and requirements are verified by means of computer simulations. A thermal analysis is carried out to investigate the robustness of the proposed optical bench to the temperature fluctuations found in orbit.
Organisation(s): Institute of Gravitation Physics
QuantumFrontiers
CRC 1464: Relativistic and Quantum-Based Geodesy (TerraQ)
External Organisation(s): CAS - Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics
University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS)
Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
Type: Article
Journal: Sensors
Volume: 22
ISSN: 1424-8220
Publication date: 07.03.2022
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Analytical Chemistry, Information Systems, Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics, Biochemistry, Instrumentation, Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.3390/s22052070 (Access: Open)

BibTeX

@article{92b8fb1b5c6245a1afabca34b601f2b4,
title = "On-Axis Optical Bench for Laser Ranging Instruments in Future Gravity Missions",
abstract = "The laser ranging interferometer onboard the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On mission proved the feasibility of an interferometric sensor for inter-satellite length tracking with sub-nanometer precision, establishing an important milestone for space laser interferometry and the general expectation that future gravity missions will employ heterodyne laser interferometry for satellite-to-satellite ranging. In this paper, we present the design of an on-axis optical bench for next-generation laser ranging which enhances the received optical power and the transmit beam divergence, enabling longer interferometer arms and relaxing the optical power requirement of the laser assembly. All design functionalities and requirements are verified by means of computer simulations. A thermal analysis is carried out to investigate the robustness of the proposed optical bench to the temperature fluctuations found in orbit.",
keywords = "GRACE, Heterodyne readout, Inter-satellite ranging, Laser interferometry",
author = "Yichao Yang and Kohei Yamamoto and {Dovale {\'A}lvarez}, Miguel and Daikang Wei and {Esteban Delgado}, {Juan Jos{\'e}} and Jianjun Jia and Gerhard Heinzel and Vitali M{\"u}ller",
note = "Funding Information: Funding: This work has been supported by: the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Max Planck Society (MPG) in the framework of the LEGACY cooperation on low-frequency gravitational-wave astronomy (M.IF.A.QOP18098); The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation, Project-ID 434617780, SFB 1464). Clusters of Excellence “QuantumFrontiers: Light and Matter at the Quantum Frontier: Foundations and Applications in Metrology” (EXC-2123, project number: 390837967); PhoenixD: “Photonics, Optics, and Engineering—Innovation Across Disciplines” (EXC-2122, project number: 390833453).",
year = "2022",
month = mar,
day = "7",
doi = "10.3390/s22052070",
language = "English",
volume = "22",
journal = "Sensors",
issn = "1424-8220",
publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute",
number = "5",
}