Characterization of non-planar ring oscillators at a wavelength of 1064 nm for high precision metrology

TL;DR

This paper compares a new non-planar ring oscillator seed laser at 1064 nm with commercial alternatives, demonstrating ten times lower power and frequency noise, crucial for high-precision interferometry such as gravitational wave detection.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel NPRO seed laser with significantly reduced noise levels, enhancing the performance of high-power laser systems for precision measurements.

Findings

New NPRO seed laser exhibits ten times lower noise.

Noise reduction persists after amplification to 40 W.

Potential for improved gravitational wave detectors.

Abstract

Ultra-stable laser light is essential for high-precision interferometric measurements, in particular for the next generation of gravitational wave detectors, where high power lasers with unprecedented low power and frequency noise are demanded. Since the seed laser for high-power laser system has a large influence on the overall noise characteristics, the use of the lowest noise seed laser is beneficial. This study compares a newly developed seed laser, based on a non-planar ring oscillator (NPRO) design, at a wavelength of 1064 nm with two commercial NPROs and shows that the new laser exhibits ten times lower power and frequency noise. This noise advantage is retained even after subsequent amplification to 40 W.