[Tanaka, Saito]
The sub-laser was injected into the SRY cavity, and the PLL was locked. The LO frequency was then frequency-modulated by ±10 kHz at a modulation frequency of 1 kHz. As a result, a signal appeared at 1 kHz in the power spectrum of the OMC REFL DC PD. By adjusting the LO frequency to minimize this signal, its amplitude was reduced to approximately the noise floor. To further improve the frequency resolution, the frequency modulation amplitude was increased to ±30 kHz. However, the amplitude of the 1 kHz signal changed in response to spontaneous fluctuations in both the frequency and amplitude of the beat signal observed at the OMC REFL RF PD, making it difficult to determine the beat frequency with 1 kHz-level precision. Therefore, it is considered that the beat frequency can be determined with a precision on the order of 10 kHz.
- First, the SRY cavity was locked, and the main-laser intensity noise measured by the OMC REFL DC PD was reduced to a level comparable to that reported in klog:37144. The sub-laser was then injected into SRY, and the PLL was locked. A Moku:Lab was used as the LO source. Using its frequency modulation function, the LO frequency was swept by ±2 MHz at 10 mHz, and the LO frequency was adjusted to approximately maximize the beat signal observed at the OMC REFL RF PD.
- Next, the LO frequency was modulated by ±10 kHz at 1 kHz. A spectral peak approximately five times higher than the noise floor appeared at 1 kHz in the power spectrum of the OMC REFL DC PD. The LO frequency was then adjusted so as to minimize this peak, and at a certain frequency the peak became comparable to the noise floor. To improve the frequency accuracy further, the modulation amplitude was increased to ±30 kHz. This again produced a peak at 1 kHz, and the LO frequency was adjusted in 1 kHz increments to minimize it. However, the amplitude of the 1 kHz peak varied together with spontaneous changes in the frequency and amplitude of the beat signal observed at the OMC REFL RF PD. As a result, determining the beat frequency with 1 kHz-level precision proved difficult. It is therefore concluded that the beat frequency can be determined with a precision on the order of 10 kHz.
- The final power spectra of the OMC REFL DC PD are shown in Figures 1 and 2. In Figure 1, the red trace corresponds to the present measurement. Its higher noise level at high frequencies compared with the other traces is attributed to the additional intensity noise from the sub-laser. In Figure 2, the green trace was measured with the sub-laser injected but without LO frequency modulation; the blue trace was measured after initially adjusting the LO frequency to approximately maximize the OMC REFL beat signal; and the red trace was measured after increasing the modulation amplitude to ±30 kHz and fine-tuning the LO frequency with approximately 1 kHz resolution.