Ultrastable, Zerodur-based optical benches for quantum gas experiments

Abstract

Operating ultracold quantum gas experiments outside of a laboratory environment has so far been a challenging goal, largely due to the lack of sufficiently stable optical systems. In order to increase the thermal stability of free-space laser systems, the application of nonstandard materials such as glass ceramics is required. Here, we report on Zerodur-based optical systems which include single-mode fiber couplers consisting of multiple components jointed by light-curing adhesives. The thermal stability is thoroughly investigated, revealing excellent fiber-coupling efficiencies between 0.85 and 0.92 in the temperature range from 17°C to 36°C. In conjunction with successfully performed vibration tests, these findings qualify our highly compact systems for atom interferometry experiments aboard a sounding rocket as well as various other quantum information and sensing applications.

Precise and robust optical beam steering for space optical instrumentation

“…The thermal stability exhibited in this work is comparable with the one achieved in other approaches, like the one in MAUIS [16], where CE between 85% and 92% was achieved, with the comparable advantage of ease of manufacturing and implementation design, while keeping the whole design stable by incorporating monolithic designs. The 0.2% RMS stability of CE in stable temperature condition is an indirect measurement of the angular stability of the beam that can be calculated to be better than 10 µrad and is comparable to the one achieved using active stabilization in PHARAO laser system [13].…”

“…For the LISA Pathfinder and LISA candidate systems [14,15] the optical components were attached to the breadboard using hydroxyl bonding to achieve high stability standards, albeit at the cost of extreme requirements on the manufacturing process. Another approach used in MAIUS1 mission using a combination of different types adhesives and complex moving parts to steer the beam with high precision [16,17].In this paper, we report on a novel optical beam steering technique (OBST) for fiber to free-space to fiber coupling breadboards. We achieve robust, ultrastable and yet extremely fine beam steering using simple optical elements, like optical wedges and plates, while at the same time reducing the complexity of the fibre couplers.…”

JOKARUS - design of a compact optical iodine frequency reference for a sounding rocket mission

“…The JOKARUS mission will, for the first time, demonstrate an autonomous, compact, ruggedized iodine frequency reference using a microintegrated high power ECDL during a space flight. In three successful rocket missions, namely FOKUS [12], FOKUS Re-Flight and KALEXUS [11], we and partners have demonstrated the maturity of our laser systems and related technologies [26]. As part of the FOKUS mission, flown on the 23 rd of April 2015, a frequency-stabilized laser system, shown in Fig.…”

Autonomous frequency stabilization of two extended-cavity diode lasers at the potassium wavelength on a sounding rocket

“…On the front side of the laser diode and after passing a micro-isolator, the main beam is fiber coupled directly on the micro-optical bench using a Zerodur [35] fiber coupler. The fiber coupling technique is described in [36]. With coupling efficiencies around 65%, we have about 15 mW available ex fiber at maximum current.…”