Modelling and Analysis of Mechanical and Thermal Response of an Ultrastable, Dual-Axis, Cubic Cavity for Terrestrial and Space Applications

TL;DR

This paper presents a detailed FEM analysis of a 7.5 cm dual-axis cubic optical cavity, evaluating its mechanical and thermal stability for portable atomic clock applications in PNT, geodesy, VLBI, and space missions.

Contribution

It provides comprehensive modeling insights into the mechanical and thermal stability of a transportable dual-axis cubic cavity, guiding robust design for portable atomic clocks.

Findings

Lower thermal noise floor compared to smaller cavities.

Design insights for robustness against vibrations and imperfections.

Thermal effects modeled for vacuum and shielded environments.

Abstract

Transportable all-optical atomic clocks represent the next-generation devices for precision time keeping, ushering a new era in encompassing a wide range of PNT (Positioning, Navigation and Timing) applications in the civil and strategic sectors. Their performance relies on ultra-stable, narrow-linewidth lasers, frequency stabilized to a compact portable optical cavity. Among various designs, the cubic spacer-based ultra-stable cavity is particularly well-suited for transportable applications due to its low sensitivity to vibrations, owing to its symmetric geometry and robust mounting structure. While longer cavities offer a lower fundamental thermal noise floor, one needs to strike a balance between transportability and size. In this aspect, the 7.5 cm dual-axis cubic cavity offers a lower fundamental thermal noise floor in comparison to smaller counterparts, while still retaining a reasonable SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) for terrestrial and aerial PNT applications. Its dual-axis design also enables multi-wavelength laser stabilization, making it a promising candidate for future transportable clock applications. This work presents a detailed study of the 7.5 cm dual-axis cubic cavity using FEM (Finite Element Method) to evaluate its mechanical and thermal stability. We analyze the impact of various geometric factors, mounting forces, and machining imperfections, while also modelling thermal effects such as conduction, radiation, and mirror heating within a vacuum chamber and thermally shielded environment. Our findings provide design insights for developing robust dual-axis optical reference cavities, advancing the deployment of portable atomic clocks for next-generation applications in PNT, geodesy, VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) and deep space missions.