* The connections to control the motors of the mirrors are connected in the order stated :

                 M1        -      M2       -       M3     -    M4

            bottom right - bottom left -  top right   -   top left

* The cables on the back of the box are connected as shown in attached photo

as they are connected they show on the software (Precision Tool commander) as

                 M1        -      M2       -       M3     -    M4

                Ch0        -      Ch1      -      Ch2     -   Ch3

Added the cabling to the categories 

A document attached that describes the procedure needed to:

- connect the motors

- configure the Ethernet connection

- Calibrate and reference the software used to control the motors.

05 April  2021 :  A rough alignment of the cavity was done using the Helium Neon Laser.

•   At the reference zero the distance between the mirrors is (taken from a reference presentation "status9nov2020" attached):

                   M1-M2 = 88.029 mm

                   M3-M4 = 84.6895 mm

• The distances between the spherical mirrors ( M3-M4 ) was set to take into account the stability of the mirror ( M3-M4 > Spherical mirror focal length = 85.3 mm)

                 M3-M4 = 90.5 mm

                 we increased the distance between them by 5.8 mm, and moving the mirrors symmetrically, M3 and M4 moved by -2.9 mm (negative defines outer motion)

• Following the definition of M3-M4, fixing of the angle = 2.55637 degrees and frequency (Frep = 876.3636 MHz). Distance between planners (M1-M2)

                 M1-M2 = 80.2 mm

                we decreased the distance between them by 7.83 mm, and moving the mirrors symmetrically, M1 and M2 moved by +3.915 mm (positive defines inward motion)

**** Photo attached is the values on the software at the time.

Following the Helium Neon Alignment + change in the distance between the mirrors to be; M3-M4 = 90.5 mm , M1-M2 = 80.2 mm  -→ The alignment using the Koheras CW laser is done.

• Additional components used:
  • for monitoring beam :  Photodiode (power of beam), Beam Profiler (shape, position, power , ... ) 
  • for Koheras frequency scan: function generator, Amplifier or use lase-lock (had some issues to be checked)
  • Telescope: made using 1 m focal length to match the beam shape of the cavity
• Observed during:
  • The alignment is fairly similar to the previous one, placed two irises to preserve it.
  • Fundamental mode observed (beam profiler after M2) was circular
  • when the frequency scan was fine-tuned around the fundamental mode we could see the mode pulsing in the cavity, but there was a bit of instability.
  • when doing a very wide frequency scan (50 V ~ 1.5 GHz), multiple modes where showing inside the cavity

Photos attached show:

• some resonating modes in the cavity 
• Fundamental mode resonating in the cavity, with its properties (2D shape, 1D shape, position) ** The picture is taken after subtracting the background **
  • from 2D it is very circular
  • from 1D it is confirmed to be circular (715.00 um - 704.00 um)
  • From position, we have a reference to compare with tomorrow morning.
• Diffraction that can be observed in the cavity (you can clearly see the edges of the mirrors in the photo)
• The temperature curve is attached for the duration of the exp. (before starting Ronic switched something off and then put it on !!!!!! it seems to be for temp regulation )

** Notes for tomorrow morning :  first : switch on the laser and check if the beam 00 mode is still observed and check its position

this is to see the stability and the effect of the temperature.

** Following up from yesterday an observation about the TM00 mode : it has been seen with similar dimensions and its position is the same, this was before restarting the temperature regulator. 

                 --> after restarting the temp. regulator  there was a slight shift in the position (likely it is caused by the temperature variation, a temperature graph for during the morning is attached)

** Coupling of the cavity and koheras is observed (photo attached)

** Error curve measurement to be done.

• What we used before to do a frequency scan and lock the cavity was  a function generator and an amplifier
  • There is noise from the amplifier causing the sweep to pass through the cavity frequencies a lot.
  • we shift to using LaseLock, it gives a very clean sweep ( a clean sweep meaning we have a resistance at the output of laselock combined with the capacitance in the Piezo input behind the koheras, this gives the time constant which affects the signal shape)
• Changes in the temperature of the koheras affects its wavelength and in turn the mode resonates in the cavity.
  • note** when the mode is at the top peak of the sweep  (Piezo )  meaning we are observing the resonance at the ends of the sweep, we increase the temperature of the laser very slightly to shit the sweep a little ( temp increase ~ 0.010 c , very small increase step by step )
• For observing the Mode Lock of the cavity, there are a few points to be aware of :
  • Coupling Frequency -----{convention represented in blue curve}
  • The reflection from the mirror M1 (cavity reflection) -----{convention represented in yellow curve}
  • The transmission from the nirrors M2,M3,M4 ( what is resonating in the cavity) -----{convention represented in green curve}
  • :When the laser is in resonance with the cavity "locked" the reflection decreases and power is stored momentarily in the cavity meaning the transmission increase that is why when the cavity is locked we see a decrease in the reflection (yellow curve) and at the same moment an increase in the  cavity transmission (green curve)
• To be done : do a measurement of the error signal curve, what is needed :
  • the reflected beam (split it into two ) -- one for coupling measurement done before and the other for the error signal curve
  • PDH -- photodiode with bandwidth amplifier
  • Function generator
  • EOM
  • ...

New update on the position of the Motors for the cavity

***** we moved the motors to set the cavity at 876MHz, and checked it right after with the RF modulation at FSR.

       So compared to the expected setting we had to move inwards the two planar mirrors by 0.9 mm each.

Planar     : M1-M2 motor = + 4.815  mm    ------>    M1-M2 =  78.399 mm

Spherical : M3-M4 motor = -2.9 mm          ------>     M3-M4 =  90.4895 mm

New configuration is made. The new mode observed in NF_Trans is the following :

Here the first part of all the presentations since the beginning of the project.

Here the second part of all the presentations since the beginning of the project.

Here the last part of all the presentations since the beginning of the project.

Installation of the MIKAN.
powermeter (with OD1) just after the oscillator shows 440mW for 4A of the MIKAN pump current.

Installation of a periscope as the oscillator beam position is very close to the table... not easy to put devices at this height (be aware to use proper wavelength range mirrors: Thorlabs BB1-E03)
Installation of a HALF waveplate to align beam polarisation on the isolator axis
Installation of a High power isolator (the one of ThomX): Newport ISO-FRDY-05-1030-N
powermeter (with OD1) just after the isolator shows 427mW

Coupling into a 50-50% fiber coupler using the Thorlabs XYZ table NanoMax TS.
We reached 117mW after the 50% arm which means we coupled about 230mW (the coupling better than 50%).

Ronic just suceeded in obtaining a reasonably good lock on the cavity. Air flow is switched off.

We stopped all movements (closed loop, click STOP in the PTC interface) and saw immediately a fair but not excellent lock.

We then switched off the smaract motors and the obtained lock was good. Switching on again the smaract means tthat the references are lost.

We futher saw a drift of the locking point, probalby suggetsing that the thermal load in the cavity slightly changed after switching off the motors.

We then added the second 1GHz BW EOM to add sidebands thanks to the MARCONI RF generator. We observed that the FSR is aroung 867.6MHz (in air). We then looked at the points where the transmission signal related to the sideband is halved. We observed that the corresponding frequencies are 867.296 and 867.776MHz. the corresponding FWHM of about 500kHz corresponds approximately to a 2000 finesse.

Picture color code:
TRANS : Green
REFLECT : Yellow
PZT : Blue

 

For spherical mirrors M3 and M4 (batch C117I054) the reflectance (R) is around 99.9987% (if T+R=1 => T=13ppm)

For plan mirror M2 (batch C217G054) the reflectance (R) is around 99.9977% (if T+R=1 => T=23ppm)

(1) => For plan mirror M1 (batch C217H023) the reflectance (R) is around 98.96% and transmittance (T) is around 1.14% (T=11400 ppm)
(2) => For plan mirror M1 (batch C217H027) the reflectance (R) is around 99.9385% (if T+R=1 => T=615ppm)

*************************************
case (1) :
Finesse = 546
Gain = 346
Coupling = 1.7%
=> it seems we don't use this mirror for M1
**************************************
case (2) :
Finesse = 9460
Gain = 5578
Coupling = 27%

if one adds 10ppm of losses due to dust on each mirror :
Finesse = 8923
Gain = 4963
Coupling = 44%
**************************************

After installing cameras the actual calibration are :

NF_Refl: acA1920-40gm
    pixel size (real): 5.86um
    Magnification = [0.53,0.56]
    pixel size (image): 3.22um
    image donne on input plan mirror M1 (accuracy about few mm)

NF_Trans: acA1920-40gm
    pixel size (real): 5.86um
    Magnification = 1.32
    pixel size (image): 7.73um
    image donne on output plan mirror M2 (accuracy about few mm)
 

need to adjust the NF transmission as the Magnification is greater than 1.

Cavity is lock and optimized with the NKT. Input power is maximized (10mW).

Cavity mode is in attachement. The reference on camera with BeamProfiler Matlab code is the following:

FF_refl: [2.0883    1.1606]

NF_refl: [5.3869    3.9327]

FF_inj: [1.9491    1.3980]

NF_inj: [5.6431    3.5234]

we observed that the transmitted light coming from the cavity is made of the cavity mode light and the scattered light on the borders of the mirrors.
the scattered light on the borders of the mirrors is triggered by the cavity mode itself when the cavity is locked.
we didn't put an iris to cut this scattered light coming from the cavity.

Question:

could it be possible that the wrong Finesse value could come from the fact that the transmission was measured with the whole light coming from the cavity and not only the cavity mode light?

I made many tests about polarization and we can see some points thanks to the following figures :

1- The ellipsicity of the NKT is near to 0 (between -0,2 and 0,2) which means the polarization is rectilinear horizontale (attachement 1).

2- The power of the NKT has no influence on the polarization, verticale or horizontale (attachement 2 and 3).

3- The polarization is not changed by the type of mirror (Ag or Diélec) (attachement 4)

The next step is to measure the polarization after the cavity to know the ellipsicity.