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Journal of the Optical Society of America A

Differential phase decoder in a polarized optical heterodyne interferometer

Chien Chou, Hui-Kang Teng, Chien-Chung Tsai, Jheng-Syong Wu

Published Oct 2, 2008• 6 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A differential-phase decoder (DPD) together with a polarization common-path optical heterodyne interferometer is set up. Based on this interferometric configuration and a novel balanced-detector scheme, the performance of the quantum-noise-limited differential-phase decoder is demonstrated and analyzed. The minimum-detectable differential phase is on the order of 10(-7) rad/sqrt Hz when a 2.5 mW He-Ne laser is used. Verified experimentally, the DPD is immune to the common-phase noise induced by an electro-optic phase modulator or by thermal disturbance within the interferometer. This signifies that the minimum-detectable differential phase can become 10(-8) rad/sqrt Hz if a 300 mW continuous wave laser is employed instead.

DOI
10.1364/josaa.25.002630

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IOSR Journal of Applied Physics•Apr 1, 2016•0 citations
A differential-phase decoder (DPD) together with a polarization common-path optical heterodyne interferometer is set up. Based on this interferometric configuration and a novel balanced-detector scheme, the performance of the quantum-noise-limited differential-phase decoder is demonstrated and analyzed. The minimum-detectable differential phase is on the order of 10(-7) rad/sqrt Hz when a 2.5 mW He-Ne laser is used. Verified experimentally, the DPD is immune to the common-phase noise induced by an electro-optic phase modulator or by thermal disturbance within the interferometer. This signifies that the minimum-detectable differential phase can become 10(-8) rad/sqrt Hz if a 300 mW continuous wave laser is employed instead.
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.
Interferometric detection of gravitational waves at a level of astrophysical interest is expected to require measurement of optical phase differences of < or = 10(-10) rad. A fundamental limit to the phase sensing is the statistics of photon detection--Poisson statistics for light in a coherent state. We have built a laboratory-scale interferometer to achieve and investigate the phase detection sensitivity required for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. With 70 W of circulating power, we have obtained a phase sensitivity of 1.28 x 10(-10) rad/square root(Hz) at frequencies above 600 Hz, limited by quantum noise. Below 600 Hz, excess noise above the quantum limit is seen, and we present our investigations into the sources of this excess. Compared with the results of previous such experiments, the phase sensitivity over the full 100-Hz-10-kHz band of interest has been improved by factors of up to 100, with a factor-of-2.5 improvement in the quantum-limited level.
Atomic state manipulation by laser radiation requires a stringent control of the light phase noise for precise spectroscopy and quantum computation . In this work we describe a novel interferometer recently employed to estimate the phase noise induced by an optical frequency shifter based on serrodyne modulation for optical frequency standards (Barbiero et al., 2023). The interferometer is generated by an acousto-optic actuator working in the Raman-Nath regime. Using the heterodyne detection between the unshifted optical mode with the first higher order optical components , we are able to detect the differential phase between the two optical path arms with a reduction of the phase noise induced by the actuator. We provide a theoretical treatment for the actuator phase suppression and we estimate the detectable phase noise limit of this interferometer. Finally, we discuss the possible applications in the field of precision measurements.
Two schemes for interferometric optical phase measurement, with sensitivity limited only by quantum noise in the light, are analyzed. Direct detection is applicable to signals at modulation frequencies away from the technical noise of the light, so that quantum noise dominates the measurement. Alternatively signals otherwise obscured by classical optical noise may be recovered with a phase-modulation technique that shifts the signals to a quantum-noise-limited region of the photocurrent spectrum. The analysis is tested experimentally by using a polarimetric electric-field sensor. In the direct-detection scheme quantum-noise-limited performance produced a phase sensitivity of 0.25 µrad. The indirect scheme allowed subkilohertz signals to be extracted from classical noise 67 dB greater with sensitivity approaching the quantum noise limit.
The phase noise affecting the beat photocurrent produced by coherent detection of a single-frequency laser field with a time-delayed and frequency-shifted image of itself in a heterodyne two-wave interferometric system using a single-mode optical fiber is investigated as a function of source spectrum and phase-decorrelation time under the assumptions of quantum laser phase noise and high-local-oscillation level. The influence on the photocurrent spectrum of partial correlation between detected fields is pointed out. These calculations are an extension of a previously reported high-resolution spectroscopic method and account for the phase-noise limitation in unbalanced heterodyne fiber sensors and heterodyne-transmission receivers with an optical reference wave generated from the received signal. An experimental study is reported consisting of a Mach–Zender-type interferometer employing a single-frequency amplitude-stabilized laser, an acousto-optical single-side-band modulator for frequency shifting one of the arms, and several lengths of single-mode optical fiber to decorrelate the detected fields partially. Results are found to be in good agreement with theory.
A low noise differential detector has been constructed in order to reduce the laser shot noise. A factor of 30dB of the reduction of the rejection noise has been obtained by simulating the amplitude modulation of two laser probes with a home-made electro-optical modulator (EOM). Cold atom devices have a detection zone which may be non-separated from the trapping/cooling zone. The aim of this short letter is to demonstrate the power of a homodyne balanced mode differential detection in a cold atom device experiment and to extrapolate it in a modulation transfer spectroscopy technique. A differential detector has been built with two identical Silicone photodiodes mounted as shown in figure 1 [1]. The photocurrent derived from both photodiodes is controled by the interfet transistor and amplified with a one stage low noise amplifier. Figure1: A balanced mode differential detector We can envisage to work with a home made electro-optical modulator (EOM) constituted by a conductor wire rolled around a cylindrical ceramic which plays the role of a capacitor fixed between two metallic pieces. We choose a resonance frequency (~ MHz) by adjusting the mechanical pressure (for example with many screws) applied on the upper mechanical piece. The microwave energy is introduced inside the box via a SMA connector [2]. See figure 2. Figure 2: A Home Made Electro-Optical Modulator. Otherwise, a very good quality resonant EOM can be available in the market. The wide band EOM are in fact less performant. A Home-made Balanced Mode Differential Detector DOI: 10.9790/4861-0804047779 www.iosrjournals.org 78 | Page Figure 3: Amplitude modulation of two probe lasers. The use of the EOM is simple. It is intended to undergo an amplitude modulation of two probe lasers. A probe laser is modulated in amplitude via the EOM (to few MHz) and is divided into two probes in order to undergo a differential detection. Figure 4: Reduced signal of a factor of 30 dB. A Home-made Balanced Mode Differential Detector DOI: 10.9790/4861-0804047779 www.iosrjournals.org 79 | Page This will reduce the detection noise, essentially the photons' noise taken back to the intrinsic noise of each photodiode [3, 1] (see figure 4). We note that the reduction factor of the photons' noise can be affected by the thermal drift of the modulator. This work has been undergone at the Sloane Physics Laboratory at Yale university in 1999 and has never been published. References [1] P. C. Hobbs, Reaching the shot noise limit, Optics & Photonics News, 17-23, Avril 1991. [2] S. Ghezali, Private communication, 2000. [3] J. M. McGuirk, G. T. Foster, J. B. Fixler and M. A. Kasevich, Opt. Lett., Vol. 26, Issue 6, Mars 2001.