Laser stabilisation for the measurement of thermal noise

K. G. Baigent; D. A. Shaddock; M. B. Gray; D. E. McClelland

doi:10.1023/A:1001963914433

Laser stabilisation for the measurement of thermal noise

K. G. Baigent, D. A. Shaddock, M. B. Gray, D. E. McClelland

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Abstract

In order to measure the thermal noise of a mirror suspended in a vacuum it is necessary for the length measurement error due to intensity and frequency noise of the probe laser to be reduced below the thermal noise level. Here we report on an experiment to reduce the frequency and intensity noise of a 40mW Nd:YAG laser for this purpose. The frequency is stabilised using the standard reflection locking technique. To stabilise the laser intensity a technique which uses the properties of an ’in loop’ light field has been developed. This technique is capable of suppressing the intensity noise below the shot noise limit without reducing the useful laser power. A servo based on this technique has been designed and tested. The experimental results indicate that the laser noise can be reduced to a level which will allow a displacement sensitivity of 1.5 × 10^-19m/√Hz for the detection of thermal noise in a frequency band of 10 to 500Hz.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	399-409
Number of pages	11
Journal	General Relativity and Gravitation
Volume	32
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1001963914433
Publication status	Published - Mar 2000

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title = "Laser stabilisation for the measurement of thermal noise",

abstract = "In order to measure the thermal noise of a mirror suspended in a vacuum it is necessary for the length measurement error due to intensity and frequency noise of the probe laser to be reduced below the thermal noise level. Here we report on an experiment to reduce the frequency and intensity noise of a 40mW Nd:YAG laser for this purpose. The frequency is stabilised using the standard reflection locking technique. To stabilise the laser intensity a technique which uses the properties of an {\textquoteright}in loop{\textquoteright} light field has been developed. This technique is capable of suppressing the intensity noise below the shot noise limit without reducing the useful laser power. A servo based on this technique has been designed and tested. The experimental results indicate that the laser noise can be reduced to a level which will allow a displacement sensitivity of 1.5 × 10-19m/√Hz for the detection of thermal noise in a frequency band of 10 to 500Hz.",

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AU - Baigent, K. G.

AU - Shaddock, D. A.

AU - Gray, M. B.

AU - McClelland, D. E.

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N2 - In order to measure the thermal noise of a mirror suspended in a vacuum it is necessary for the length measurement error due to intensity and frequency noise of the probe laser to be reduced below the thermal noise level. Here we report on an experiment to reduce the frequency and intensity noise of a 40mW Nd:YAG laser for this purpose. The frequency is stabilised using the standard reflection locking technique. To stabilise the laser intensity a technique which uses the properties of an ’in loop’ light field has been developed. This technique is capable of suppressing the intensity noise below the shot noise limit without reducing the useful laser power. A servo based on this technique has been designed and tested. The experimental results indicate that the laser noise can be reduced to a level which will allow a displacement sensitivity of 1.5 × 10-19m/√Hz for the detection of thermal noise in a frequency band of 10 to 500Hz.

AB - In order to measure the thermal noise of a mirror suspended in a vacuum it is necessary for the length measurement error due to intensity and frequency noise of the probe laser to be reduced below the thermal noise level. Here we report on an experiment to reduce the frequency and intensity noise of a 40mW Nd:YAG laser for this purpose. The frequency is stabilised using the standard reflection locking technique. To stabilise the laser intensity a technique which uses the properties of an ’in loop’ light field has been developed. This technique is capable of suppressing the intensity noise below the shot noise limit without reducing the useful laser power. A servo based on this technique has been designed and tested. The experimental results indicate that the laser noise can be reduced to a level which will allow a displacement sensitivity of 1.5 × 10-19m/√Hz for the detection of thermal noise in a frequency band of 10 to 500Hz.

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KW - Laser stabilisation

KW - Thermal noise

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JO - General Relativity and Gravitation

JF - General Relativity and Gravitation

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Laser stabilisation for the measurement of thermal noise

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