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European Quantum Electronics Conference (EQEC)

Quantum locking of mirrors in interferometers

A. Heidmann, Jean-Michel Courty, M. Pinard

Published Jan 1, 2003• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Quantum noise in ultrasensitive measurements such as gravitational-waves interferometers is drastically modified by quantum feedback. We show that a local control of mirror motion can lock the mirror and reduce quantum effects of radiation pressure.
DOI
10.1109/eqec.2003.1314186

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The sensitivity in interferometric measurements such as gravitational-wave detectors is ultimately limited by quantum noise of light. We discuss the use of feedback mechanisms to reduce the quantum effects of radiation pressure. Recent experiments have shown that it is possible to reduce the thermal motion of a mirror by cold damping. The mirror motion is measured with an optomechanical sensor based on a high-finesse cavity, and reduced by a feedback loop. We show that this technique can be extended to lock the mirror at the quantum level. In gravitational-waves interferometers with Fabry-Perot cavities in each arms, it is even possible to use a single feedback mechanism to lock one cavity mirror on the other. This quantum locking greatly improves the sensitivity of the interferometric measurement. It is furthermore insensitive to imperfections such as losses in the interferometer.
The sensitivity in interferometric measurements such as gravitational-wave detectors is ultimately limited by quantum noise of light. We discuss the use of feedback mechanisms to reduce the quantum effects of radiation pressure. Recent experiments have shown that it is possible to reduce the thermal motion of a mirror by cold damping. The mirror motion is measured with anoptomechanical sensor based on a high-finesse cavity, and reduced by a feedback loop. We show that this technique can be extended to lock the mirror at the quantum level. In gravitational-waves interferometers with Fabry-Perot cavities in each arms, it is even possible to use a single feedback mechanism to lock one cavity mirror on the other. This quantum locking greatly improves the sensitivity of the interferometric measurement. It is furthermore insensitive to imperfections such as losses in the interferometer.
We discuss the use of active control to reduce mirrors position fluctuations at the quantum level. Recent experiments have shown that it is possible to reduce the thermal motion of a mirror by cold damping. The mirror motion is measured with an optomechanical sensor based on an high-finesse optical cavity, and corrected by a feedback loop. We show that this approach can be extended to lock the mirror motion at the quantum level and we propose to use this quantum locking technique to reduce the noise in interferometric measurements such as gravitational-waves detectors. We analyze the back-action effects of the optomechanical sensor and show that quantum limits can be transferred from the sensor measurement to the interferometric one. This simple technique allows one to suppress the quantum effects of radiation pressure in the interferometer and to greatly enhance its sensitivity. The effect is furthermore insensitive to losses in the interferometer.
We discuss the use of active control to reduce mirrors position fluctuations at the quantum level. Recent experiments have shown that it is possible to reduce the thermal motion of a mirror by cold damping. The mirror motion is measured with an optomechanical sensor based on an high-finesse optical cavity, and corrected by a feedback loop. We show that this approach can be extended to lock the mirror motion at the quantum level and we propose to use this quantum locking technique to reduce the noise in interferometric measurements such as gravitational-waves detectors. We analyze the back-action effects of the optomechanical sensor and show that quantum limits can be transferred from the sensor measurement to the interferometric one. This simple technique allows one to suppress the quantum effects of radiation pressure in the interferometer and to greatly enhance its sensitivity. The effect is furthermore insensitive to losses in the interferometer.
We have developed an experiment of ultrasensitive interferometric measurement of small displacements based on a high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity. We have observed the internal thermal noise of mirrors and fully characterized their acoustics modes with a sensitivity of 3 × 10 −20 m/Hz 1/2 . This unique sensitivity is a step towards the first observation of the radiation pressure effects and the resulting standard quantum limit in interferometric measurements. Our experiment may become a powerful facility to test quantum noise reduction schemes such as the use of squeezed light or quantum locking of mirrors. As a first result, we present the observation of a cancellation of radiation pressure effects in our cavity. This back-action noise cancellation was first proposed within the framework of gravitational-wave detection with dual resonators, and may drastically improve the sensitivity of such measurements.