Other
Scientific paper
Jan 1992
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1992phdt........29f&link_type=abstract
Thesis (PH.D.)--MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, 1992.Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-04, Secti
Other
9
Interferometer, Wave Detector
Scientific paper
Laser interferometry is being developed as a method for the detection of gravitational radiation. A Michelson interferometer is intrinsically sensitive to the differential optical path length changes produced in its two orthogonal arms by a passing gravitational wave. The path length changes due to expected astronomical sources of gravitational radiation are, however, extremely small. Their detection requires that new forms of interferometers, and new methods of fringe detection, be developed and tested. A small prototype interferometer built to study some of these techniques is described. This Michelson interferometer employs Fabry-Perot cavities in the arms as a means of increasing the conversion of arm length variations to optical phase variations. One of the experiments uses internal phase modulation as a method for generating the error signals necessary to hold the cavities on resonance and to maintain the dark fringe condition. Internal modulation also provides a potentially shot-noise limited signal proportional to the interferometer path length difference. The advantages and limitations of this technique are discussed. Another experiment investigates the technique of light recycling. This is a method for increasing the effective light power in the interferometer by a resonant build-up of the input light. This is the first experimental demonstration of light recycling with a Fabry-Perot arm interferometer. An increase in the circulating power by a factor of 18 is observed, in good agreement with the expected gain given the losses of the system. The experiment also addresses several phenomena associated with the configuration of coupled optical cavities found in a recycled Fabry-Perot interferometer. The recycling experiment uses a different phase modulation geometry for detecting the output signal. This is the external modulation technique, where a fraction of the circulating light is split off to form a reference beam. This beam is phase modulated and interfered with the interferometer output field. By removing the modulators from the arms of the interferometer, external modulation avoids limitations due to losses and distortions in the modulators. Throughout the thesis, the application of these techniques to a full-scale gravity wave detector is discussed. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253 -1690.).
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