Dual-wavelength fiber Fabry-Perot cavities with engineered birefringence

TL;DR

This paper introduces a versatile method to engineer polarization mode splitting in fiber Fabry-Perot cavities using laser-machined elliptical mirrors, enabling dual-wavelength operation with high finesse.

Contribution

It demonstrates a laser-based technique to control birefringence in fiber cavities and achieves high-finesse dual-wavelength cavities with tailored polarization properties.

Findings

Birefringent frequency splitting is determined by mirror shape.

The method allows for maximized or near-zero polarization splitting.

Finesse exceeds 40,000 at both 780 nm and 1559 nm.

Abstract

We present a method to engineer the frequency splitting of polarization eigenmodes in fiber Fabry-Perot (FFP) cavities. Using specific pattern of multiple CO$_2$ laser pulses, we machine paraboloidal micromirrors with controlled elliptical shape in a large range of radius of curvature. This method is versatile and can be used to produce cavities with maximized or near-zero polarization mode splitting. In addition, we realize dual-wavelength FFP cavities with finesse exceeding $40\,000$ at 780$\,$nm and at 1559$\,$nm in the telecom range. We provide direct evidence that the birefringent frequency splitting in FFP cavities is governed only by the geometrical shape of the mirrors, and that the astigmatism of the cavity modes needs to be taken into account for specific cavities.