In this paper we present a novel apparatus aimed at measuring very small birefringences and anisotropies, based on frequency metrology and not on polarimetry as usual. In our experiment, a very high finesse resonant cavity is used to convert the phase difference into a resonance frequency difference, which can then be measured with very high accuracy. We describe the set-up and present the results of experimental tests which exhibited a sensitivity dn ~ 2 x 10?18, allowing for the measurement of long-predicted magneto-electro-optical effects in gases. Since the shotnoise limited sensitivity of our apparatus lies well below the state-of-the-art sensitivity, frequency metrology appears as a promising technique for small birefringence measurements.
@article{arxiv.1002.3812,
title = {Highly sensitive frequency metrology for optical anisotropy measurements},
author = {Gilles Bailly and Raphaël Thon and Cécile Robilliard},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1002.3812},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
Accepted for publication in Review of Scientific Instruments