Stabilized fiber-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer for carrier-frequency rejection

TL;DR

This paper presents a stabilized fiber-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer capable of effectively rejecting the carrier frequency of a phase-modulated laser beam, demonstrating significant extinction over extended periods.

Contribution

The work introduces a stabilized fiber-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer with centimeter-scale path difference for carrier rejection, achieving long-term stability and high extinction.

Findings

Achieved 32 dB extinction of the carrier wave

Maintained stabilization over several hours

Successfully removed carrier from phase-modulated laser at 780 nm

Abstract

We have demonstrated stabilization of a fiber-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer, with a centimeter-scale path difference, to the transmission minimum for the carrier wave of a frequency-modulated laser beam. A time-averaged extinction of 32 dB, limited by the bandwidth of the feedback, was maintained over several hours. The interferometer was used to remove the carrier wave from a 780 nm laser beam that had been phase modulated at 2.7 GHz.