Excitation of plasma resonances by a small pulsed dipole

Resonant oscillation decay excited by pulsed dipole in collisionless plasm

Magneto-optical signatures of a cascade of transitions in La2−x_2-xBax_xCuO4_4

Recent experiments in the original cuprate high temperature superconductor, La$_2-x$Ba$_x$CuO$_4$, have revealed a remarkable sequence of transitions [1]. Here we investigate such crystals with Kerr effect which is sensitive to time-reversal-symmetry breaking (TRSB). Concurrent birefringence measurements accurately locate the structural phase transitions from high-temperature tetragonal to low temperature orthorhombic, and then to lower temperature tetragonal, at which temperature a strong Kerr signal onsets. Hysteretic behavior of the Kerr signal suggests that TRSB occurs well above room temperature, an effect that was previously observed in high quality YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x} crystals [2].Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Enhanced second harmonic generation from resonant GaAs gratings

We study second harmonic generation in nonlinear, GaAs gratings. We find large enhancement of conversion efficiency when the pump field excites the guided mode resonances of the grating. Under these circumstances the spectrum near the pump wavelength displays sharp resonances characterized by dramatic enhancements of local fields and favorable conditions for second harmonic generation, even in regimes of strong linear absorption at the harmonic wavelength. In particular, in a GaAs grating pumped at 1064nm, we predict second harmonic conversion efficiencies approximately five orders of magnitude larger than conversion rates achievable in either bulk or etalon structures of the same material.Comment: 8 page

Generating Entangled Two-Photon States with Coincident Frequencies

It is shown that parametric downconversion, with a short-duration pump pulse and a long nonlinear crystal that is appropriately phase matched, can produce a frequency-entangled biphoton state whose individual photons are coincident in frequency. Quantum interference experiments which distinguish this state from the familiar time-coincident biphoton state are described.Comment: Revised version (a typo was corrected) as published on PR

Thermoelastic dissipation in inhomogeneous media: loss measurements and displacement noise in coated test masses for interferometric gravitational wave detectors

The displacement noise in the test mass mirrors of interferometric gravitational wave detectors is proportional to their elastic dissipation at the observation frequencies. In this paper, we analyze one fundamental source of dissipation in thin coatings, thermoelastic damping associated with the dissimilar thermal and elastic properties of the film and the substrate. We obtain expressions for the thermoelastic dissipation factor necessary to interpret resonant loss measurements, and for the spectral density of displacement noise imposed on a Gaussian beam reflected from the face of a coated mass. The predicted size of these effects is large enough to affect the interpretation of loss measurements, and to influence design choices in advanced gravitational wave detectors.Comment: 42 pages, 7 figures, uses REVTeX

Titania-doped tantala/silica coatings for gravitational-wave detection

Reducing thermal noise from optical coatings is crucial to reaching the required sensitivity in next generation interferometric gravitational-wave detectors. Here we show that adding TiO2 to Ta2O5 in Ta2O5/SiO2 coatings reduces the internal friction and in addition present data confirming it reduces thermal noise. We also show that TiO2-doped Ta2O5/SiO2 coatings are close to satisfying the optical absorption requirements of second generation gravitational-wave detectors

Silica suspension and coating developments for Advanced LIGO

The proposed upgrade to the LIGO detectors to form the Advanced LIGO detector system is intended to incorporate a low thermal noise monolithic fused silica final stage test mass suspension based on developments of the GEO 600 suspension design. This will include fused silica suspension elements jointed to fused silica test mass substrates, to which dielectric mirror coatings are applied. The silica fibres used for GEO 600 were pulled using a Hydrogen-Oxygen flame system. This successful system has some limitations, however, that needed to be overcome for the more demanding suspensions required for Advanced LIGO. To this end a fibre pulling machine based on a CO2 laser as the heating element is being developed in Glasgow with funding from EGO and PPARC. At the moment a significant limitation for proposed detectors like Advanced LIGO is expected to come from the thermal noise of the mirror coatings. An investigation on mechanical losses of silica/tantala coatings was carried out by several labs involved with Advanced LIGO R&D. Doping the tantala coating layer with titania was found to reduce the coating mechanical dissipation. A review of the results is given here

Measurements of a low temperature mechanical dissipation peak in a single layer of Ta2O5 doped with TiO2

Thermal noise arising from mechanical dissipation in oxide coatings is a major limitation to many precision measurement systems, including optical frequency standards, high resolution optical spectroscopy and interferometric gravity wave detectors. Presented here are measurements of dissipation as a function of temperature between 7 K and 290 K in ion-beam sputtered Ta2O5 doped with TiO2, showing a loss peak at 20 K. Analysis of the peak provides the first evidence of the source of dissipation in doped Ta2O5 coatings, leading to possibilities for the reduction of thermal noise effects

A Cryogenic Silicon Interferometer for Gravitational-wave Detection

The detection of gravitational waves from compact binary mergers by LIGO has opened the era of gravitational wave astronomy, revealing a previously hidden side of the cosmos. To maximize the reach of the existing LIGO observatory facilities, we have designed a new instrument that will have 5 times the range of Advanced LIGO, or greater than 100 times the event rate. Observations with this new instrument will make possible dramatic steps toward understanding the physics of the nearby universe, as well as observing the universe out to cosmological distances by the detection of binary black hole coalescences. This article presents the instrument design and a quantitative analysis of the anticipated noise floor