Related papers: Optical layout for a 10m Fabry-P\'erot Michelson i…
Detection of gravitational waves in kilohertz frequency range is crucial for understanding the physical processes of binary neutron star mergers. In Ref. [Phys. Rev. X {\bf 13}, 021019 (2023)], a new interferometric configuration has been…
Direct imaging of exoplanet systems requires the use of coronagraphs to reach high contrast levels (10^-8 to 10^-11) at small angular separations (0.1"). However, the performance of these devices is drastically limited by aberrations (in…
Optical detection of ultrasound for photoacoustic imaging provides large bandwidth and high sensitivity at high acoustic frequencies. Higher spatial resolutions can therefore be achieved using Fabry-P\'erot cavity sensors, as compared to…
The French-Italian interferometric gravitational wave detector VIRGO is currently being commissioned. Its principal instrument is a Michelson laser interferometer with 3 km long optical cavities in the arms and a power-recycling mirror. The…
We report on measurements and modeling of the mode structure of tunable Fabry-P\'erot optical microcavities with imperfect mirrors. We find that non-spherical mirror shape and finite mirror size lead to loss, mode deformation, and shifted…
Optical interferometers with suspended mirrors are the archetype of all current audio-frequency gravitational-wave detectors. The radiation pressure interaction between the motion of the mirror and the circulating optical field in such…
We present a compact and robust transportable ultra-stable laser system with minimum fractional frequency instability of $1\times10^{-15}$ at integration times between 1 to 10 s. The system was conceived as a prototype of a subsystem of a…
Optical microresonators are characterized by a comb of resonances that preserve similar characteristics over a broad spectral interval. However, for many applications it is beneficial to selectively control of the quality factor (Q) of one…
Through a combination of experiment and theory we establish the possibility of achieving strong tuning of Fano resonances (FRs), by allowing their usual two-path geometry to interfere with an additional, 'intruder', continuum. As the…
An experimental method is developed for the robust frequency stabilization using a high-finesse cavity when the laser exhibits large intermittent frequency jumps. This is accomplished by applying an additional slow feedback signal from…
Fiber Fabry-Perot cavities, formed by micro-machined mirrors on the end-facets of optical fibers, are used in an increasing number of technical and scientific applications, where they typically require precise stabilization of their optical…
A small fixed-mirror Michelson interferometer has been built in Frascati to experimentally study the alignment method that has been suggested for VIRGO. The experimental results fully confirm the adequacy of the method. The minimum angular…
A key issue in developing pendular Fabry-Perot interferometers as very accurate displacement measurement devices, is the noise level. The Fabry-Perot pendulums are the most promising device to detect gravitational waves, and therefore the…
State-of-the-art optical oscillators based on lasers frequency stabilized to high finesse optical cavities are limited by thermal noise that causes fluctuations of the cavity length. Thermal noise represents a fundamental limit to the…
Interferometric gravitational wave detectors are expected to be limited by shot noise at some frequencies. We experimentally demonstrate that a power recycled Michelson with squeezed light injected into the dark port can overcome this…
We demonstrate Ramsey-Bord\'e (RB) atom interferometry for high performance laser stabilization with fractional frequency instability $<2 \times 10^{-16}$ for timescales between 10 and 1000s. The RB spectroscopy laser interrogates two…
As wavefront quality demands tighten on space systems for applications such as astronomy and laser communication, mounting small optics such that the wavefront is undisturbed, positioning is adjustable and the design is producible, while…
We report on the relative length fluctuation of two fixed-spacer Fabry-Perot cavities with mirrors fabricated from silica/tantala dielectric coatings on fused silica substrates. By locking a laser to each cavity and reading out the beat…
New experiments are being developed without the background of quantum shot noise to look for weak, high-frequency signals using Michelson interferometers. Since shot noise is no longer the dominant noise source with these readout schemes,…
Interferometric wavelength meters have attained frequency resolutions down to the MHz range. In particular, Fizeau interferometers, which have no moving parts, are becoming a popular tool for laser characterization and stabilization. In…