| Project Detail |
Compact, multi-wavelength, ultra-stable laser cavities Optical (laser) cavities, also called optical resonators, are essential components of almost all lasers. Mirrors form a ‘cavity’ in which light maintained in oscillation is used as the beam source. Ultra-stable laser cavities (USLCs) have highly stable laser light frequencies and are increasingly common in atomic and molecular physics laboratories. The development of compact, multi-wavelength USLCs would have significant impact on high-precision applications including quantum sensing, spectroscopy, metrology and quantum computing. The ERC-funded MightyMirrors project aims to make this possible by integrating low-noise meta-devices with multi-layer photonic integrated circuits to produce multifunctional cavity mirrors. These will be integrated in complex resonator geometries. Its theoretical modelling framework and high-refractive index materials will support the effort. Ultra-stable laser cavities (USLCs) lie at the heart of humankind’s most precise measurement instruments. Developing compact, multi-wavelength, USLCs will greatly benefit applications such as quantum sensing, spectroscopy, metrology, and quantum computing. In this research program, I propose to explore novel versatile cavity mirrors by integrating low-noise meta-devices with multi-layer photonic integrated circuits into complex laser resonator geometries. I envisage a fully integrated USLC by incorporating all necessary sensors, modulators, and input-output optics within the mirror substrate. Innovative laser resonator topologies will allow for pushing the stability limits into new regimes and gaining access to novel application fields of optical cavities. We have recently demonstrated an optical cavity incorporating an ultra-low-noise meta-mirror with an unprecedented cavity finesse of >11,500. These developments are possible thanks to our theoretical framework to model thermal noise processes in arbitrary optical systems. High-refractive index materials, like silicon, diamond, silicon nitride, and aluminum oxide, are ideal for realizing low-noise meta-devices and integrated photonic circuits. The enormous conceptual and technological challenges lie in simultaneously controlling many properties (optical, optomechanical, thermal) in complex photonic configurations incorporating different materials and addressing various temperature ranges and multiple wavelengths within a single miniaturized cavity. Through its research program, the MightyMirror project will enable a symbiosis of integrated photonics and free-space cavities, opening many new possibilities with a large impact on fundamental and applied science as well as on society. |
