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Optical resonators with ten million finesse
Optics Express
|June 24, 2009
Summary
Iterative thermal annealing significantly improved calcium fluoride optical resonators. This enhancement boosted resonator finesse by over 200 times, leading to superior optical performance.
Area of Science:
- Optical Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonators are crucial for various optical applications.
- Achieving high finesse and quality factors in WGM resonators is essential for enhanced performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To improve the finesse and quality factor of calcium fluoride (CaF2) WGM optical resonators.
- To investigate the effectiveness of iterative thermal annealing as a method for resonator enhancement.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication and characterization of CaF2 WGM optical resonators.
- Application of iterative thermal annealing cycles to the resonators.
- Measurement of resonator finesse and quality factor before and after annealing.
Main Results:
- Initial resonator finesse was approximately 5 x 10^5.
- Post-annealing, resonator finesse exceeded 10^7, representing a significant improvement.
- Iterative thermal annealing led to a substantial increase in the quality factor.
Conclusions:
- Iterative thermal annealing is a highly effective technique for enhancing the optical performance of CaF2 WGM resonators.
- The achieved finesse levels open possibilities for advanced optical sensing and laser applications.
- Further research can explore annealing parameters for even greater improvements.
