Reduction of residual amplitude modulation to 1 x 10(-6) for frequency modulation and laser stabilization

Author(s)
W. Zhang, M. J. Martin, C. Benko, J. L. Hall, J. Ye, C. Hagemann, T. Legero, U. Sterr, F. Riehle, G. D. Cole, M. Aspelmeyer
Abstract

Active control and cancellation of residual amplitude modulation (RAM) in phase modulation of an optical carrier is one of the key technologies for achieving the ultimate stability of a laser locked to an ultrastable optical cavity. Furthermore, such techniques are versatile tools in various frequency modulation-based spectroscopy applications. In this Letter we report a simple and robust approach to actively stabilize RAM in an optical phase modulation process. We employ a waveguide-based electro-optic modulator (EOM) to provide phase modulation and implement an active servo with both DC electric field and temperature feedback onto the EOM to cancel both the in-phase and quadrature components of the RAM. This technique allows RAM control on the parts-per-million level where RAM-induced frequency instability is comparable to or lower than the fundamental thermal noise limit of the best available optical cavities.

Organisation(s)
Quantum Optics, Quantum Nanophysics and Quantum Information
External organisation(s)
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, University of Colorado, Boulder, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
Journal
Optics Letters
Volume
39
Pages
1980-1983
No. of pages
4
ISSN
0146-9592
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.39.001980
Publication date
04-2014
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103026 Quantum optics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/15e316ec-0f73-472b-9faa-f0096a09901a