Heterodyne Stabilization for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)

ORAL

Abstract

LISA is a joint NASA/ESA space mission to detect gravitational waves from 0.1 mHz to 1 Hz generated e.g. by super-massive black hole mergers. Three spacecraft move in a triangular constellation on a heliocentric orbit. Their distances are monitored interferometrically with laser links. LISA detects fluctuations of the 5 million km arm lengths on a picometer scale. The requirement for the frequency stability of the lasers is $141~\mathrm{Hz}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$. I will present a new stabilization scheme based on heterodyne interferometry. It requires less components than the currently envisioned Pound Drever Hall technique and can easily be integrated into LISA's interferometry measurement system. The two lasers of each spacecraft are injected into the same optical cavity. Near resonance, the phase of the reflected light is sensitive to frequency fluctuations. The second, off-resonant beam can be used to lock the primary laser to the cavity resonance. I will discuss this technique and present experimental results. This work is supported by NASA Contract \#00078244 and NASA Grant NNX08AG75G.

–

Authors

  • Johannes Eichholz

    University of Florida

  • Philip Adams

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, ORNL, UT, ORNL/UT, UK, LSU, Louisiana State University, Zhejiang Normal University, Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, University of Tuebingen, Germany, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Max Plank Institute for Astrophysics, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, Albert Einstein Institute, California Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA 70803, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Ohio State University, Wright State University, Department of Physics, North Carolina A\&T State University, Clark Atlanta University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, P, Princeton University, University of New Orleans, Alabama A\&M University, Vanderbilt Univ., Konstanz Univ., Isik Univ., Department of Physics, Yale University

  • Philip Adams

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, ORNL, UT, ORNL/UT, UK, LSU, Louisiana State University, Zhejiang Normal University, Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, University of Tuebingen, Germany, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Max Plank Institute for Astrophysics, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, Albert Einstein Institute, California Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA 70803, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Ohio State University, Wright State University, Department of Physics, North Carolina A\&T State University, Clark Atlanta University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, P, Princeton University, University of New Orleans, Alabama A\&M University, Vanderbilt Univ., Konstanz Univ., Isik Univ., Department of Physics, Yale University

  • Philip Adams

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, ORNL, UT, ORNL/UT, UK, LSU, Louisiana State University, Zhejiang Normal University, Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, University of Tuebingen, Germany, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Max Plank Institute for Astrophysics, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, Albert Einstein Institute, California Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA 70803, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Ohio State University, Wright State University, Department of Physics, North Carolina A\&T State University, Clark Atlanta University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, P, Princeton University, University of New Orleans, Alabama A\&M University, Vanderbilt Univ., Konstanz Univ., Isik Univ., Department of Physics, Yale University