arXiv subjects

Rodica Martin

Publications and source records attributed to Rodica Martin.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Coating-free monolithic fused silica resonator via total internal reflection for precision laser stabilization

Brownian noise in the thin-film mirror coatings of optical reference cavities is a fundamental limitation in precision metrology, including gravitational-wave detectors and optical atomic clocks. We demonstrate a monolithic fused silica resonator that eliminates the use of thin-film coatings by operating via total internal reflection (TIR), achieving a finesse of 1225 and an optical mode volume of \qty{50}{mm^3}. To our knowledge, this is the largest mode volume reported for any coating-free monolithic resonator, comparable to state-of-the-art reference cavities. We use the cavity to frequency-stabilize an Nd:YAG laser, and demonstrate its application to precision metrology by operating it in a passive ring gyroscope configuration. This platform circumvents the dominant noise source of conventional reference cavities and provides a pathway toward cryogenic silicon TIR resonators that could surpass current frequency stabilization limits.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Squeezing the quantum noise of a gravitational-wave detector below the standard quantum limit

Precision measurements of space and time, like those made by the detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), are often confronted with fundamental limitations imposed by quantum mechanics. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle dictates that the position and momentum of an object cannot both be precisely measured, giving rise to an apparent limitation called the Standard Quantum Limit (SQL). Reducing quantum noise below the SQL in gravitational-wave detectors, where photons are used to continuously measure the positions of freely falling mirrors, has been an active area of research for decades. Here we show how the LIGO A+ upgrade reduced the detectors' quantum noise below the SQL by up to 3 dB while achieving a broadband sensitivity improvement, more than two decades after this possibility was first presented.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

A Cryogenic Silicon Interferometer for Gravitational-wave Detection

The detection of gravitational waves from compact binary mergers by LIGO has opened the era of gravitational wave astronomy, revealing a previously hidden side of the cosmos. To maximize the reach of the existing LIGO observatory facilities, we have designed a new instrument that will have 5 times the range of Advanced LIGO, or greater than 100 times the event rate. Observations with this new instrument will make possible dramatic steps toward understanding the physics of the nearby universe, as well as observing the universe out to cosmological distances by the detection of binary black hole coalescences. This article presents the instrument design and a quantitative analysis of the anticipated noise floor.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2016

The Advanced LIGO Input Optics

The Advanced LIGO gravitational wave detectors are nearing their design sensitivity and should begin taking meaningful astrophysical data in the fall of 2015. These resonant optical interferometers will have unprecedented sensitivity to the strains caused by passing gravitational waves. The input optics play a significant part in allowing these devices to reach such sensitivities. Residing between the pre-stabilized laser and the main interferometer, the input optics is tasked with preparing the laser beam for interferometry at the sub-attometer level while operating at continuous wave input power levels ranging from 100 mW to 150 W. These extreme operating conditions required every major component to be custom designed. These designs draw heavily on the experience and understanding gained during the operation of Initial LIGO and Enhanced LIGO. In this article we report on how the components of the input optics were designed to meet their stringent requirements and present measurements showing how well they have lived up to their design.

physics.ins-det↗