Characterization of Laser Systems at 1550 nm Wavelength for Future Gravitational Wave Detectors

authored by: Fabian Meylahn, Benno Willke
Abstract: The continuous improvement of current gravitational wave detectors (GWDs) and the preparations for next generation GWDs place high demands on their stabilized laser sources. Some of the laser sources need to operate at laser wavelengths between 1.5 µm and 2.2 µm to support future detectors based on cooled silicon test masses for thermal noise reduction. We present detailed characterizations of different commercial low power seed laser sources and power amplifiers at the wavelength of 1550 nm with respect to performance parameters needed in GWDs. A combination with the most complete set of actuators was arranged as a master-oscillator power amplifier (MOPA), integrated into a stabilization environment and characterized. We present the results of this characterization that make this stabilized MOPA a highly relevant prototype for future GWDs as well as a low noise light source for other experiments in high precision metrology.
Organisation(s): Institute of Gravitation Physics
QuantumFrontiers
External Organisation(s): Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
Type: Article
Journal: Instruments
Volume: 6
Publication date: 06.03.2022
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Instrumentation
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.3390/instruments6010015 (Access: Open)

BibTeX

@article{c27942239e8c4152a7e96da5640192c3,
title = "Characterization of Laser Systems at 1550 nm Wavelength for Future Gravitational Wave Detectors",
abstract = "The continuous improvement of current gravitational wave detectors (GWDs) and the preparations for next generation GWDs place high demands on their stabilized laser sources. Some of the laser sources need to operate at laser wavelengths between 1.5 µm and 2.2 µm to support future detectors based on cooled silicon test masses for thermal noise reduction. We present detailed characterizations of different commercial low power seed laser sources and power amplifiers at the wavelength of 1550 nm with respect to performance parameters needed in GWDs. A combination with the most complete set of actuators was arranged as a master-oscillator power amplifier (MOPA), integrated into a stabilization environment and characterized. We present the results of this characterization that make this stabilized MOPA a highly relevant prototype for future GWDs as well as a low noise light source for other experiments in high precision metrology.",
keywords = "1550 nm, Gravitational wave detector, Laser system",
author = "Fabian Meylahn and Benno Willke",
note = "Funding Information: Funding: Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany{\textquoteright}s Excellence Strategy—EXC-2123 QuantumFrontiers—390837967.",
year = "2022",
month = mar,
day = "6",
doi = "10.3390/instruments6010015",
language = "English",
volume = "6",
journal = "Instruments",
number = "1",
}