All-reflective Michelson, Sagnac, and Fabry-Perot interferometers based on grating beam splitters

All-reflective Michelson, Sagnac, and Fabry-Perot interferometers based on grating beam splitters are experimentally demonstrated at a wavelength of 1064 nm. A 1200-groove/mm grating diffracting 0 and -1 orders with an efficiency of 48.2% for each order was used as a near-50/50 beam splitter. The all-reflective Sagnac and Michelson interferometers were formed by reintroducing both of the diffracted beams back to the grating. The Fabry-Perot interferometer was formed in a Littrow configuration by using a 1700-groove/mm grating with a blazing efficiency of 91% as a cavity coupler. These interferometers encompass all the fundamental configurations of all-reflective laser interferometric gravitational-wave detectors, promising improved wave-front quality by avoiding volume thermal effects in transmissive optics under high-power laser illumination.     

13.9nm软X射线激光用大面积多层膜分束镜研制

 基于分束镜反射率和透射率的乘积为衡量标准的原则,设计了13.9nm软X射线激光干涉测量所需的多层膜分束镜，用磁控溅射法在有效面积达10mm×10mm，厚100nm的氮化硅窗口上镀制Mo/Si多层膜,实现了分束镜制作。用表面轮廓仪实测分束镜面形精度达到nm量级，同步辐射反射率计测试表明,分束镜的反射率和透射率乘积约4%。     

13.9 nm马赫贞德干涉仪用软X射线分束镜研究

 介绍了13.9 nm马赫贞德干涉仪用软X射线分束镜的设计、制备与性能检测。基于分束镜反射率和透过率乘积最大的评价标准，设计了13.9 nm软X射线激光干涉实验用多层膜分束镜。采用磁控溅射方法在有效面积为10 mm×10 mm、厚度为100 nm的Si3N4基底上镀制了Mo/Si多层膜，制成了多层膜分束镜。利用X射线掠入射衍射的方法测量了Mo/Si多层膜的周期。用扩束He-Ne激光束进行的投影成像方法定性分析了分束镜的面形精度，利用光学轮廓仪完成了分束镜面形精确测量。利用北京同步辐射装置测量了分束镜反射率和透射率，在13.9 nm处，分束镜反射率和透过率乘积达4%。使用多层膜分束镜构建了软X射线马赫贞德干涉仪，并应用于13.9 nm软X射线激光干涉实验中，获得了清晰的含有C8H8等离子体电子密度信息的动态干涉条纹。     

A low-finesse Fabry–Pérot interferometer for use in displacement measurements with applications in absolute gravimetry

A low-finesse Fabry–Pérot interferometer is used to determine long and fast displacements. Two corner cube reflectors form the traveling-wave cavity and one beam splitter couples the input collimated laser beam. Given the retro-directive property of corner cube reflectors, the cavity operates at the edge of stability over an extended scanning range. The in-line scheme with a single fixed optical component makes the proposed interferometer robust and easy to align and use. These characteristics are particularly useful in applications running in noisy environments, such as in on-field absolute gravimetry. Experimental data showing the performances reached in a transportable ballistic gravimeter are also presented.     

Polarization Sagnac interferometer with postmodulation for gravitational-wave detection

We describe a polarization Sagnac interferometer with an in-loop half-wave plate that allows signal detection at the reciprocal port of the beam splitter while maintaining the ability to detect the signal at a dark fringe. Postmodulation and balanced heterodyne detection are used to recover the signal. This topology is simple to control because of its common-path characteristics and its collinear signal and local oscillator. The robustness of this scheme to amplitude and frequency fluctuations of the laser is demonstrated. Intraloop birefringence in this interferometer acts as a loss, reducing the power on the detector. The magnitude of this loss is discussed and experimentally verified.     

马赫曾德尔单频干涉仪非线性误差分析

 研究了马赫曾德尔单频干涉仪对可调谐激光器进行频率监测时非理想1/4波片和偏振分光镜引入的非线性误差。借助琼斯矩阵对干涉仪建模,理论推导了系统误差公式。理论分析和数值仿真发现：系统的非线性误差为一次谐波误差和二次谐波误差的线性叠加;系统中2个偏振分光镜倾斜角度的非对称主要导致一次谐波误差;波片倾斜角度误差、偏振分光镜倾斜角度误差以及波片相位延迟误差主要导致二次谐波误差,总二次谐波误差近似表现为此3类误差源独立产生的误差的线性叠加;当偏振分光镜消偏比较大时,其产生的误差可忽略。     

空域移相偏振点衍射波前检测技术

点衍射干涉仪结构简单、共光路、测量精度高, 空域移相干涉仪抗振性能优越, 两者在波前检测领域获得了广泛的应用. 本文采用激光打孔技术, 通过在金属纳米线栅偏振片上制备小孔, 制作了偏振点衍射板; 结合分光结构的空域移相技术, 搭建了空域移相偏振点衍射干涉仪, 并对一焦距为550 mm, F_#10的平行光管准直物镜透射波前进行测量, 与法国Phasics公司生产的商业化波前传感器SID4的测量结果相比较, 两者峰谷值相差0.09λ, 均方根值相差0.012λ ; 利用35项Zernike多项式拟合两者的测量结果, 将拟合得到的系数在同一坐标轴下绘制成两条曲线, 两者基本重合, 从而验证了所搭建的空域移相偏振点衍射波前检测装置的测试精度. 从而在传统点衍射干涉仪的基础上引入了空域移相技术, 实现了波前的高分辨率、高精度、实时检测, 并且提高了对振动、气流等环境因素的抗干扰能力.     

一种新颖的全光型表面原子(分子)漏斗

提出了一种产生全光型表面原子(分子)漏斗的新方案.采用红失谐高斯激光束照明由柱面透镜组成的光学系统，可在透镜焦平面附近产生横向漏斗形光强分布，以构成一表面光波导型原子漏斗.计算了漏斗的光强分布及其光学偶极势与偶极力分布.研究结果表明：该原子漏斗可用于冷原子(分子)的表面光波导、分束器和干涉仪以及微阱囚禁的有效装载，因而在集成原子光学及其原子芯片的研究中有着重要的应用. 关键词： 原子漏斗 分子漏斗 光学偶极势 原子芯片     

Dispersive white-light spectral interferometry including the effect of thin-film for distance measurement

A spectral-domain white-light interferometric technique is used for measuring distances in a Michelson interferometer with a mirror represented by a thin-film structure (TFS) on a substrate. A fibre-optic spectrometer is employed for recording spectral interferograms that include wide wavelength range effects of dispersion in a cube beam splitter and multiple reflection within the TFS. Knowing the effective thickness of the beam splitter, its dispersion and parameters of the TFS and substrate, the positions of the second interferometer mirror are determined precisely by a least-squares fitting of the theoretical spectral interferograms to the recorded ones. We apply the technique to the beam splitter made of BK7 optical glass and to a uniform SiO₂ thin film on a silicon wafer. We compare the results of the processing that include and do not include the effect of the TFS.     

Laser surface patterning using a Michelson interferometer and femtosecond laser radiation

We report on a simple method to obtain surface gratings using a Michelson interferometer and femtosecond laser radiation. In the optical setup used, two parallel laser beams are generated using a beam splitter and then focused using the same focusing lens. An interference pattern is created in the focal plane of the focusing lens, which can be used to pattern the surface of materials. The main advantage of this method is that the optical paths difference of the interfering beams is independent of the distance between the beams. As a result, the fringes period can be varied without a need for major realignment of the optical system and the time coincidence between the interfering beams can be easily monitored. The potential of the method was demonstrated by patterning surface gratings with different periods on titanium surfaces in air.     

一种新颖的表面光波导型原子(或分子)分束器

提出了一种采用二元π位相板与柱面透镜组合而构成表面光波导型原子（或分子）分束器及其Mach-Zehnder干涉仪与X-分束器列阵的新方案，介绍了本方案的物理思想与基本原理，导出了光强分布、强度梯度、分束距离和分束路径的宽度与光学系统参数间的解析关系，并分析和讨论了本方案的潜在应用及其可行性. 研究表明，本方案设计新颖、光路简单，便于与其他元件组合构成具有表面微结构的集成原子（或分子）光学元器件及其全光型原子（或分子）芯片. 关键词： 原子（或分子）光波导 原子（或分子）分束器 原子（或分子）芯片 二元π位相板     

Lasers and optics: looking towards third generation gravitational wave detectors

Third generation terrestrial interferometric gravitational wave detectors will likely require significant advances in laser and optical technologies to reduce two of the main limiting noise sources: thermal noise due to mirror coatings and quantum noise arising from a combination of shot noise and radiation pressure noise. Increases in laser power and possible changes of the operational wavelength require new high power laser sources and new electro-optic modulators and Faraday isolators. Squeezed light can be used to further reduce the quantum noise while nano-structured optical components can be used to reduce or eliminate mirror coating thermal noise as well as to implement all-reflective interferometer configurations to avoid thermal effects in mirror substrates. This paper is intended to give an overview on the current state-of-the-art and future trends in these areas of ongoing research and development.     

Small signal gain and loss measurement of a CW Nd:YAG laser using an antiresonant ring interferometer

An antiresonant ring (ARR) interferometer configuration is introduced for the characterization of a continuous wave (CW) Nd:YAG laser output. The output of the ARR device is precisely characterized todetermine the gain and loss of a laboratory CW Nd:YAG laser by using the Findlay-Clay approach. TheARR arm is then experimentally arranged inside the cavity of an arranged high power side-pumped CWNd:YAG laser. A coated beam splitter with 50–50% reflectivity at normal incidence is placed inside thecavity to provide a wide range of reflectivity from 0 to 100%. This is performed by a rotatable stage and tilting the beam splitter by 10°with the steps of 0.05. By changing the input electrical power of the laser pump the variation of the output laser power is monitored for 20 individual reflectivity of ARR arm.Average pump threshold power of about 180 W is obtained. With the help of the derived equations and obtained threshold power, small signal gain and loss associated with the emerging beam is estimated. It is verified that the former is very dependent to the input parameters. Laser efficiency is also measures 5.6% which is quite comparable with the reported values.     

Quasi-common-path microchip laser feedback interferometry with a high stability and accuracy

We report on an improved scheme of quasi-common-path microchip laser feedback interferometry, which demonstrates a high stability and accuracy. An additional beam splitter is used to divide the external cavity into a measuring feedback cavity and a reference feedback cavity. With this scheme, the optical path lengths of the measuring and reference feedback light can be made nearly the same, thus greatly reducing the long-period phase fluctuation caused by the laser frequency drift. The final system performances are evaluated as followed: the short-term displacement resolution is better than 2 nm, the output fluctuation is less than 10 nm within a 40-min-long stability test, and the maximum error within the 100-μm range is 25 nm when calibrated with the Agilent 5529A dual-frequency laser interferometer.     

Demonstration of a recombined Fabry-Perot-Michelson interferometer with suspended mirrors

We describe preliminary experimental results concerning the operation of a 3 m arm-length Michelson interferometer with two Fabry-Perot cavities whose mirrors and beam splitter are suspended independently by wires. The reflected light beams from the two Fabry-Perot cavities are recombined to obtain interference at a photo-detector; this scheme is necessary for future power-recycled laser interferometers used to detect gravitational waves. The fundamental properties of the interferometer are presented, including the power spectral density of the displacement noise.     

基于干涉条纹图像对比法测量微位移

研究了基于迈克尔逊干涉条纹对比法测量微位移的实验。用He-Ne激光器、反射镜和分束镜组成的干涉光路,其中一个反射镜固定在被测物体上,通过被测物体的移动带动反射镜移动使干涉光路发生变化,从而导致干涉条纹的改变。在形成干涉条纹的位置利用线阵CCD采集干涉条纹图像,用序列图像对比的方法对图像进行处理和计算,得出被测物体的微位移。实验表明利用序列图像对比的方法测量微位移,方法切实可行、测量准确度高、测量的精度能够达到微米量级。     

改变写入Bragg波长的干涉条纹运动的扫描式Talbot干涉仪

一种干涉条纹运动的扫描式Talbot干涉仪被用于改变光纤Bragg光栅的写入Bragg波长。在系统中,光纤光栅是由来自相位掩模的±1级衍射光经平面镜反射后在远场形成紫外干涉条纹写入的,其中,相位掩模被用作±1级衍射光的分束器。值得注意的是通过干涉条纹的运动来扫描写入光纤光栅,有效降低了Talbot干涉仪对写入光源相干性的要求。     

Longitudinal coherence measurements of a transient collisional x-ray laser

We present what is to our knowledge the first longitudinal coherence measurement of a transient inversion collisional x-ray laser. We investigated the picosecond output of a Ni-like Pd x-ray laser at 14.68 nm generated by the COMET laser facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Interference fringes were generated with a Michelson interferometer setup in which a thin multilayer membrane was used as a beam splitter. We determined the longitudinal coherence for the 4d1S0 --> 4p1P1 lasing transition to be approximately 400 microm (1/e half-width) by changing the length of one interferometer arm and measuring the resultant variation in fringe visibility. The inferred gain-narrowed linewidth of approximately 0.29 pm is a factor of 4 less than previously measured in quasi-steady-state x-ray laser schemes.     

Polarization-based balanced heterodyne detection method in a Sagnac interferometer for precision phase measurement

We describe a balanced heterodyne detection method for a Sagnac interferometer that uses a polarization-dependent beam splitter. The signal and the local oscillator are orthogonally polarized components of a single laser beam, permitting the detection of the signal by subtraction of two photocurrents produced in appropriate polarization projections. Using this scheme, we experimentally demonstrate a phase measurement with a sensitivity of 9x10(-10) rad/ radicalHz. The measurement is robust in the presence of laser frequency noise, as a result of preserving the common-path nature of the Sagnac interferometer, and of laser-amplitude noise, as a result of balanced detection.     

Balanced heterodyne signal extraction in a postmodulated Sagnac interferometer at low frequency

We describe a balanced-heterodyne postmodulated Sagnac interferometer signal extraction method that is suitable for gravitational wave detection. The method is simple to implement by placement of a polarization-selective modulator after the beam splitter in the dark port of the interferometer. The postmodulated Sagnac interferometer retains its common path advantage and exhibits insensitivity to laser frequency noise below, at, and above the heterodyne frequency. Balanced detection reduces sensitivity to laser amplitude noise. In this scheme mirror displacement signals were rf demodulated and observed from 0.2 to 10kHz.