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Published on: April 26, 2014
Stabilized fiber-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer for carrier-frequency rejection
Nathan Cooper1, Jonathan Woods, James Bateman
1School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, UK. nlc2g09@soton.ac.uk
Applied Optics
|August 14, 2013
Summary
We stabilized a fiber-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer to precisely control laser beams. This method achieved a 32 dB extinction ratio, enabling carrier wave removal for advanced optical applications.
Area of Science:
- Optical physics
- Interferometry
- Laser technology
Background:
- Fiber-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometers are sensitive to environmental changes.
- Stabilization is crucial for precise optical measurements and signal processing.
- Carrier wave suppression is important in frequency-modulated systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate stabilization of a fiber-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
- To achieve high extinction ratio for carrier wave suppression.
- To utilize the stabilized interferometer for removing the carrier wave from a modulated laser beam.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a frequency-modulated laser beam with a centimeter-scale path difference in the interferometer.
- Implemented a feedback system to maintain the interferometer at the transmission minimum.
- Employed a 780 nm laser beam phase-modulated at 2.7 GHz.
Main Results:
- Achieved time-averaged extinction of 32 dB.
- Maintained stabilization over several hours.
- Successfully removed the carrier wave from the phase-modulated laser beam.
Conclusions:
- The demonstrated stabilization technique is effective for fiber-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometers.
- High extinction ratios are achievable, enabling efficient carrier wave suppression.
- This method provides a robust way to process frequency-modulated laser signals.
