Experimental demonstration of a suspended diffractively coupled optical cavity

Area of Science:

• Optical Physics
• Gravitational Wave Astronomy
• Interferometry

Background:

• Advanced gravitational wave detectors require novel optical configurations.
• All-reflective optical systems offer potential advantages for future detector designs.
• Diffraction gratings are being explored as input couplers for Fabry-Perot cavities in these systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally demonstrate a fully suspended diffractive coupled cavity.
• To investigate the applicability of Pound-Drever-Hall techniques for controlling such cavities.
• To assess the feasibility of using diffraction gratings in gravitational wave detector topologies.

Main Methods:

• Construction and suspension of a diffractive coupled cavity.
• Implementation of Pound-Drever-Hall length sensing and control.
• Experimental validation of cavity stability and operating conditions.

Main Results:

• Successful experimental demonstration of a fully suspended diffractive coupled cavity.
• Validation of conventional Pound-Drever-Hall techniques for length sensing and control in this system.
• Confirmation of the potential for using diffractive optics in gravitational wave detectors.

Conclusions:

• Diffractively coupled cavities are experimentally feasible for gravitational wave detector applications.
• Pound-Drever-Hall techniques are effective for stabilizing these novel optical systems.
• This work supports the development of all-reflective optical systems for future gravitational wave observatories.