Setup for a long-term stable optical cavity

Abstract

Optical frequency references based on optical cavities have multiple applications in modern physics, including actual and future satellite missions. While they are usually used in order to reach high frequency stabilities on short integration times about 1 s up to 100 s, space-based tests of Special Relativity such as e.g. proposed within the BOOST mission, which has the goal to realize a Kennedy-Thorndike experiment in a low-Earth orbit, require a long-term stable optical frequency reference based on an optical cavity. We developed a compact and mechanical stable setup using an NPRO-type Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 1064 nm which is stabilized to an 8.7 cm long cubic ULE cavity (NPL design) with a Finesse of 400 000. The cavity has a calculated thermal noise limit caused by Brownian motion at the 4x10^(-16) level. For improved long-term stability, the cavity is mounted within a five-fold thermal shielding. We will present first results.