Laser-Frequency Stabilization via a Quasimonolithic Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with Arms of Unequal Length and Balanced dc Readout

TL;DR

This paper presents a simple, low-noise laser frequency stabilization method using a quasimonolithic Mach-Zehnder interferometer with unequal arms and balanced detection, achieving high stability suitable for gravitational wave detection.

Contribution

The authors demonstrate a novel laser stabilization scheme with minimal optical components, no additional modulations, and low frequency noise, meeting stringent space-based interferometry requirements.

Findings

Frequency noise below 100 Hz/√Hz at 1 Hz

Achieved LISA pre-stabilization requirement of 300 Hz/√Hz down to 100 mHz

Designed interferometer minimizes thermal and stray light effects

Abstract

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 stabilising an external cavity diode laser to a quasi-monolithic unequal arm-length Mach-Zehnder interferometer read out at mid-fringe 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 has been 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/$\sqrt{\textrm{Hz}}$ at 1 Hz and are able to demonstrate the LISA frequency prestabilization requirement of 300 Hz/$\sqrt{\textrm{Hz}}$ down to frequencies of 100 mHz by beating the stabilized laser with an iodine-locked reference.