Hannover 2010 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 49: Precision Measurements and Metrology VI

Q 49.9: Vortrag

Donnerstag, 11. März 2010, 16:00–16:15, A 310

The GEO600 Squeezed Light Laser — •Henning Vahlbruch, Alexander Khalaidovski, Nico Lastzka, Christian Graef, Karsten Danzmann, and Roman Schnabel — Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Leibniz Universität Hannover und Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut), Callinstrasse 38, D-30167 Hannover

Photon shot-noise is a limiting noise source in laser interferometric gravitational wave (GW) detectors. The signal to shot-noise ratio can be improved by increasing the laser power but due to light absorption and the excitation of parasitic instabilities e.g. megawatts of circulating light might become an issue. Alternatively, the signal to shot-noise ratio can also be improved by ‘squeezing’ the shot-noise as proposed in 1981.

The next upgrade of the GEO600 gravitational wave detector in Germany is scheduled for 2010 and will, in particular, involve the implementation of squeezed light. The required non-classical light source is assembled on a 1.5m² breadboard and includes a full coherent control system and a diagnostic balanced homodyne detector. Here, we present the first experimental characterization of this setup as well as a detailed description of its optical layout. A squeezed quantum noise of up to 9dB below the shot-noise level was observed in the detection band between 10Hz and 10kHz at 1064nm. We also present an analysis of the optical loss in our experiment and provide an estimation of the possible non-classical sensitivity improvement of the future squeezed light enhanced GEO600 detector.