Ultra-stable cryogenic sapphire cavity laser with an instability reaching 2 x 10-16 based on a low vibration level cryostat

Cryogenic ultra-stable lasers have extremely low thermal noise limits and frequency drifts, but they are more seriously affected by vibration noise from cryostats. Main material candidates for cryogenic ultra-stable cavities include sili-con and sapphire. Although sapphire has many excellent properties at low temperature, the development of sapphire -based cavities is less advanced than that of silicon-based. Using a homemade cryogenic sapphire cavity, we develop an ultra-stable laser source with a frequency instability of 2(1) x 10-16. This is the best frequency instability level among similar systems using cryogenic sapphire cavities reported so far. Low vibration performance of the cryo-stat is demonstrated with a two-stage vibration isolation, and the vibration suppression is optimized by tuning the mixing ratio of the gas-liquid-helium. With this technique, the linear power spectral densities of vibrations at certain frequencies higher than tens of hertz are suppressed by two orders of magnitude in all directions.(c) 2023 Optica Publish-ing Group

Automated summary

Cryogenic ultra-stable lasers have low thermal noise limits and frequency drifts, but are strongly affected by vibration noise from cryostats. Sapphire and silicon are the main materials considered for cryogenic ultra-stable cavities, with sapphire being less developed. A homemade cryogenic sapphire cavity is used to develop an ultra-stable laser source with a frequency instability of 2(1) x 10-16, the best among similar systems reported. Vibration noise is reduced using a two-stage vibration isolation and optimizing the gas-liquid-helium mixing ratio.