Abstract

Transponder-type laser interferometry is essential in spaceborne gravitational wave detection missions. This paper presents a transponder-type laser interferometer prototype for potential noise calibration of spaceborne gravitational wave detectors. Using a digital optical phase-locked loop, we successfully locked the phase of the slave laser to the master laser (${\sim}{{200}}\;{\rm{pW}}$). Once the link between the master laser and the slave laser is established, the two satellites (essentially two lasers) form a transponder-type laser interferometer. We carefully analyze the measurement stability and noise characteristics of the interferometer, and the results show that the Allan deviation of the zero drift can reach 243.2 pm at $t = {0.429}\;{\rm{s}}$, while the noise spectral density has a typical ${\rm{1/}}f$ line shape with a floor of $21\; {\rm pm/Hz}^{1/2}$ at 1 Hz. The coherence analysis shows that the temperature drift is an important factor limiting the performance of the interferometer below 2 mHz, while the frequency noise of the master laser is not dominant in the experiment. Transponder-type laser interferometers have a wide range of applications in intersatellite communication and measurement. Our design can serve as a valuable reference for gravitational wave detection missions such as LISA.

© 2024 Optica Publishing Group

High-precision digital optical phase locking for 10⁻¹² W order weak light for a spaceborne gravitational wave interferometer

Henglin Mu, Taoran Le, Xin Xu, Yidong Tan, Haoyun Wei, and Yan Li
Appl. Opt. 62(20) 5494-5501 (2023)

Automatic digital optical heterodyne phase locking loop in the milliradian domain for spaceborne laser interferometry

Hao-Jie Li, Hong-Xing Qi, Xin-Dong Liang, Li-Xiao Zeng, Wei-Lai Yao, Yi-Chao Yang, and Jian-Yu Wang
Appl. Opt. 61(23) 6915-6923 (2022)

Development of a frequency-detuned interferometer as a prototype experiment for next-generation gravitational-wave detectors

Kentaro Somiya, Peter Beyersdorf, Koji Arai, Shuichi Sato, Seiji Kawamura, Osamu Miyakawa, Fumiko Kawazoe, Shihori Sakata, Aya Sekido, and Norikatsu Mio
Appl. Opt. 44(16) 3179-3191 (2005)

Sensing and control in dual-recycling laser interferometer gravitational-wave detectors

Kenneth A. Strain, Guido Müller, Tom Delker, David H. Reitze, David B. Tanner, James E. Mason, Phil A. Willems, Daniel A. Shaddock, Malcolm B. Gray, Conor Mow-Lowry, and David E. McClelland
Appl. Opt. 42(7) 1244-1256 (2003)

Alignment of an interferometric gravitational wave detector

Peter Fritschel, Nergis Mavalvala, David Shoemaker, Daniel Sigg, Michael Zucker, and Gabriela González
Appl. Opt. 37(28) 6734-6747 (1998)