Gerberding, Oliver
[Verfasser:in];
Isleif, Katharina-Sophie
[Verfasser:in];
Mehmet, Moritz
[Verfasser:in];
Danzmann, Karsten
[Verfasser:in];
Heinzel, Gerhard
[Verfasser:in]
Laser-Frequency Stabilization via a Quasimonolithic Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with Arms of Unequal Length and Balanced dc Readout
- [published Version]
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Beschreibung:
Low-frequency high-precision laser interferometry is subject to excess laser-frequency-noise coupling via arm-length differences which is commonly mitigated by locking the frequency to a stable reference system. This approach is crucial to achieve picometer-level sensitivities in the 0.1-mHz to 1-Hz regime, where laser-frequency noise is usually high and couples into the measurement phase via arm-length mismatches in the interferometers. Here we describe the results achieved by frequency stabilizing an external cavity diode laser to a quasimonolithic unequal arm-length Mach-Zehnder interferometer readout at midfringe via balanced detection. We find this stabilization scheme to be an elegant solution combining a minimal number of optical components, no additional laser modulations, and relatively low-frequency-noise levels. The Mach-Zehnder interferometer is designed and constructed to minimize the influence of thermal couplings and to reduce undesired stray light using the optical simulation tool ifocad. We achieve frequency-noise levels below 100 Hz/Hz at 1 Hz and are able to demonstrate the LISA frequency prestabilization requirement of 300 Hz/Hz down to frequencies of 100 mHz by beating the stabilized laser with an iodine-locked reference. ; DFG/SFB/1128