Inversion of the Coupling Absorption at the Two-Photon Resonance in a Coupling-Probe-Spectroscopy Experiment

Using probe and coupling lasers, a system characterized by electromagnetically induced absorption was investigated. A switch of the EIA peak of the coupling laser to a dip was measured as function of the laser intensities

Input-output relations for a 3-port grating coupled Fabry-Perot cavity

We analyze an optical 3-port reflection grating by means of a scattering matrix formalism. Amplitude and phase relations between the 3 ports, i.e. the 3 orders of diffraction are derived. Such a grating can be used as an all-reflective, low-loss coupler to Fabry-Perot cavities. We derive the input output relations of a 3-port grating coupled cavity and find distinct properties not present in 2-port coupled cavities. The cavity relations further reveal that the 3-port coupler can be designed such that the additional cavity port interferes destructively. In this case the all-reflective, low-loss, single-ended Fabry-Perot cavity becomes equivalent to a standard transmissive, 2-port coupled cavity

Importance of including small body spin effects in the modelling of extreme and intermediate mass-ratio inspirals

We explore the ability of future low-frequency gravitational wave detectors to measure the spin of stellar mass and intermediate mass black holes that inspiral onto super-massive Kerr black holes (SMBHs). We develop a kludge waveform model based on the equations of motion derived by Saijo et al. [Phys Rev D 58, 064005, 1998] for spinning BH binaries, augmented with spin-orbit and spin-spin couplings taken from perturbative and post-Newtonian (PN) calculations, and the associated conservative self-force corrections, derived by comparison to PN results. We model the inspiral phase using accurate fluxes which include perturbative corrections for the spin of the inspiralling body, spin-spin couplings and higher-order fits to solutions of the Teukolsky equation. We present results of Monte Carlo simulations of parameter estimation errors and of the model errors that arise when we omit conservative corrections from the waveform template. For a source 5000+10^6 solar mass observed with an SNR of 1000, LISA will be able to determine the two masses to within a fractional error of ~0.001, measure the SMBH spin magnitude, q, and the spin magnitude of the inspiralling BH to 0.0001, 10%, respectively, and determine the location of the source in the sky and the SMBH spin orientation to within 0.0001 steradians. For a 10+10^6 solar mass system observed with SNR of 30, LISA will not be able to determine the spin magnitude of the inspiralling BH, although the measurement of the other waveform parameters is not significantly degraded by the presence of spin. The model errors which arise from ignoring conservative corrections become significant for mass-ratios above 0.0001, but including these corrections up to 2PN order may be sufficient to reduce these systematic errors to an acceptable level.Comment: 24 pages, 11 figures. v2 mirrors published version in PRD. Edits in Sections V and VI in response to comments from refere

Three-port beam splitters-combiners for interferometer applications

We derive generic phase and amplitude coupling relations for beam splitters-combiners that couple a single port with three output ports or input ports, respectively. We apply the coupling relations to a reflection grating that serves as a coupler to a single-ended Fabry-Perot ring cavity. In the impedance-matched case such an interferometer can act as an all-reflective ring mode cleaner. It is further shown that in the highly undercoupled case almost complete separation of carrier power and phase signal from a cavity strain can be achieved

Frequency domain interferometer simulation with higher-order spatial modes

FINESSE is a software simulation that allows to compute the optical properties of laser interferometers as they are used by the interferometric gravitational-wave detectors today. It provides a fast and versatile tool which has proven to be very useful during the design and the commissioning of gravitational-wave detectors. The basic algorithm of FINESSE numerically computes the light amplitudes inside an interferometer using Hermite-Gauss modes in the frequency domain. In addition, FINESSE provides a number of commands to easily generate and plot the most common signals like, for example, power enhancement, error or control signals, transfer functions and shot-noise-limited sensitivities. Among the various simulation tools available to the gravitational wave community today, FINESSE is the most advanced general optical simulation that uses the frequency domain. It has been designed to allow general analysis of user defined optical setups while being easy to install and easy to use.Comment: Added an example for the application of the simulation during the commisioning of the GEO 600 gravitational-wave detecto

First Long-Term Application of Squeezed States of Light in a Gravitational-Wave Observatory

We report on the first long-term application of squeezed vacuum states of light to improve the shot-noise-limited sensitivity of a gravitational-wave observatory. In particular, squeezed vacuum was applied to the German/British detector GEO600 during a period of three months from June to August 2011, when GEO600 was performing an observational run together with the French/Italian Virgo detector. In a second period squeezing application continued for about 11 months from November 2011 to October 2012. During this time, squeezed vacuum was applied for 90.2% (205.2 days total) of the time that science-quality data was acquired with GEO600. Sensitivity increase from squeezed vacuum application was observed broad-band above 400Hz. The time average of gain in sensitivity was 26% (2.0dB), determined in the frequency band from 3.7kHz to 4.0kHz. This corresponds to a factor of two increase in observed volume of the universe, for sources in the kHz region (e.g. supernovae, magnetars). We introduce three new techniques to enable stable long-term application of squeezed light, and show that the glitch-rate of the detector did not increase from squeezing application. Squeezed vacuum states of light have arrived as a permanent application, capable of increasing the astrophysical reach of gravitational-wave detectors.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Intermediate-mass-ratio-inspirals in the Einstein Telescope. II. Parameter estimation errors

We explore the precision with which the Einstein Telescope (ET) will be able to measure the parameters of intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals (IMRIs). We calculate the parameter estimation errors using the Fisher Matrix formalism and present results of a Monte Carlo simulation of these errors over choices for the extrinsic parameters of the source. These results are obtained using two different models for the gravitational waveform which were introduced in paper I of this series. These two waveform models include the inspiral, merger and ringdown phases in a consistent way. One of the models, based on the transition scheme of Ori & Thorne [1], is valid for IMBHs of arbitrary spin, whereas the second model, based on the Effective One Body (EOB) approach, has been developed to cross-check our results in the non-spinning limit. In paper I of this series, we demonstrated the excellent agreement in both phase and amplitude between these two models for non-spinning black holes, and that their predictions for signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) are consistent to within ten percent. We now use these models to estimate parameter estimation errors for binary systems with masses 1.4+100, 10+100, 1.4+500 and 10+500 solar masses (SMs), and various choices for the spin of the central intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH). Assuming a detector network of three ETs, the analysis shows that for a 10 SM compact object (CO) inspiralling into a 100 SM IMBH with spin q=0.3, detected with an SNR of 30, we should be able to determine the CO and IMBH masses, and the IMBH spin magnitude to fractional accuracies of 0.001, 0.0003, and 0.001, respectively. We also expect to determine the location of the source in the sky and the luminosity distance to within 0.003 steradians, and 10%, respectively. We also assess how the precision of parameter determination depends on the network configuration.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures. One reference corrected in v3 for consistency with published version in Phys Rev

Quantum engineering of squeezed states for quantum communication and metrology

We report the experimental realization of squeezed quantum states of light, tailored for new applications in quantum communication and metrology. Squeezed states in a broad Fourier frequency band down to 1 Hz has been observed for the first time. Nonclassical properties of light in such a low frequency band is required for high efficiency quantum information storage in electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) media. The states observed also cover the frequency band of ultra-high precision laser interferometers for gravitational wave detection and can be used to reach the regime of quantum non-demolition interferometry. And furthermore, they cover the frequencies of motions of heavily macroscopic objects and might therefore support the attempts to observe entanglement in our macroscopic world.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Role of the coupling laser in electromagnetically induced absorption

The cesium D2 line closed hyperfine transition F=4F=5 was simultaneously coupled and probed in a hot atomic beam. We experimentally showed that, when the probe laser frequency approached that of the two-photon-resonance corresponding to electromagnetically induced absorption conditions, an enhanced transparency of the coupling laser appeared, combined with a further central absorption peak at zero probe laser detuning. Simultaneously, the coupling laser parametric dispersion showed a broad negative pattern together with a narrower steep positive phase shift in correspondence with the two-photon resonance, with sub-Doppler half-widths down to about 10 kHz

Spectral measurement of the caesium D₂ line with a tunable heterodyne interferometer

The optical properties of a caesium atomic beam driven on a resonant hyperfine transition in the D2 line were studied as a function of the probe laser frequency. Using a third off-resonant laser system, a heterodyne interferometer allowed simultaneous absorption and phase shift measurements of either the probe or the coupling laser. The signal features of the probe and coupling laser transmitted intensities showed strong differences in the vicinity of the hyperfine transitions excited by the probe laser. Regular absorption signals and electromagnetically induced transparency were found in either transmitted intensities. Furthermore, light induced birefringence of the probe laser was measured