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Cryogenic photonic resonator with $10^{-17}$/s drift

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posted on 2024-10-16, 16:00 authored by Wei Zhang, William R. Milner, Jun Ye, Scott B. Papp
Thermal noise is the predominant instability in the provision of ultrastable laser frequency, referencing to an optical cavity. Reducing the thermal-noise limit of a cavity means either making it larger to spread thermal fluctuations, reducing the sensitivity of the cavity to temperature, or lowering the temperature. We report on a compact photonic resonator made of solid fused silica that we cool in a cryogenic environment. We explore a null in the resonator frequency sensitivity due to the balance of thermal expansion and thermo-optic coefficients at a temperature of 9.5 K, enabling laser stabilization with a long-term frequency drift of 4 mHz/s on the 195 THz carrier. The robustness of fused silica to cryogenics, the capability for photonic design to mitigate thermal noise and drift, and operation at a modest 9.5 K temperature offer unique options for ultrastable laser systems.

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