Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling and maintaining the pressure in an ultra-stable optical resonance cavity are disclosed herein. A method for controlling and maintaining the pressure in an ultra-stable optical resonance cavity, for example, comprises providing an ultra-stable optical system housed in a vacuum housing enclosure and a pumping system in communication with the vacuum housing for maintaining a pressure in the vacuum housing less than 1×10?6 Torr. The pumping system may comprise combination pumping achieved with the simultaneous use of a getter pump and an ion pump that provide passive and active pumping, respectively. The pumping system may also comprise passive pumping only with a getter vacuum pump only. The present invention, disclosed herein, achieves passive, power-free pumping in ultra-stable laser systems thereby enhancing the portability of such systems.

Abstract: In an aspect, a pressure sensor for determining pressure in an environment comprises: a source for emitting a coherent reference light characterized by a reference light frequency; a first lock-in mechanism configured to send an electrical signal to the source based on a reference resonance frequency; a reference cavity; wherein the reference cavity is characterized by the reference resonance frequency; a modulator configured a reference light to generate at least a first sideband frequency such that an output of said modulator is a measurement light characterized by at least the first sideband frequency; a frequency synthesizer configured to drive the modulator; a second lock-in mechanism configured to send an electrical signal to the frequency synthesizer based on a measurement resonance frequency; and a measurement cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the measurement light; wherein the measurement cavity is characterized by the measurement resonance frequency; and wherein the pressure of the

Abstract: In an aspect, a pressure sensor for determining pressure in an environment comprises: a source for emitting a coherent reference light characterized by a reference light frequency; a first lock-in mechanism configured to send an electrical signal to the source based on a reference resonance frequency; a reference cavity; wherein the reference cavity is characterized by the reference resonance frequency; a modulator configured a reference light to generate at least a first sideband frequency such that an output of said modulator is a measurement light characterized by at least the first sideband frequency; a frequency synthesizer configured to drive the modulator; a second lock-in mechanism configured to send an electrical signal to the frequency synthesizer based on a measurement resonance frequency; and a measurement cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the measurement light; wherein the measurement cavity is characterized by the measurement resonance frequency; and wherein the pressure of the

Abstract: A laser stabilization system and method are provided. The laser stabilization system includes: a laser configured to produce a laser light signal at a target frequency; a phase modulator configured to apply a phase modulation to the laser light signal to produce a phase modulated laser light signal; a stable optical resonator configured to receive the phase modulated laser light signal and return a light signal; a light detection system configured to receive the light signal from the stable optical resonator and produce an amplitude modulated electrical signal based on the light signal; and a digital domain circuit configured to generate a control signal based on the amplitude modulated electrical signal.

Abstract: A method for adjusting an optical cavity's length includes: measuring a first absolute frequency corresponding to a cavity mode, the optical cavity having a first and second mirror having respective first and second mirror surfaces separated by a first cavity length, and a resonator body interposed therebetween; determining a length difference between the first cavity length and a target cavity length corresponding to a plurality of resonance frequencies that includes a target absolute optical frequency; removing the first mirror to expose a first end of the resonator body; depositing, on one of the first end and the first mirror, a spacer having a thickness within a length tolerance of the determined length difference; and reversibly securing the first mirror to the resonator body, the spacer being between the first mirror and the resonator body, the first and second mirrors being separated, within the length tolerance, by an adjusted cavity length.

Abstract: A technique for reducing the vibration sensitivity of laser-stabilizing optical reference cavities is based upon an improved design and mounting method for the cavity, wherein the cavity is mounted vertically. It is suspended at one plane, around the spacer cylinder, equidistant from the mirror ends of the cavity. The suspension element is a collar of an extremely low thermal expansion coefficient material, which surrounds the spacer cylinder and contacts it uniformly. Once the collar has been properly located, it is cemented in place so that the spacer cylinder is uniformly supported and does not have to be squeezed at all. The collar also includes a number of cavities partially bored into its lower flat surface, around the axial bore. These cavities are support points, into which mounting base pins will be inserted. Hence the collar is supported at a minimum of three points.

Abstract: A technique for reducing the vibration sensitivity of laser-stabilizing optical reference cavities is based upon an improved design and mounting method for the cavity, wherein the cavity is mounted vertically. It is suspended at one plane, around the spacer cylinder, equidistant from the mirror ends of the cavity. The suspension element is a collar of an extremely low thermal expansion coefficient material, which surrounds the spacer cylinder and contacts it uniformly. Once the collar has been properly located, it is cemented in place so that the spacer cylinder is uniformly supported and does not have to be squeezed at all. The collar also includes a number of cavities partially bored into its lower flat surface, around the axial bore. These cavities are support points, into which mounting base pins will be inserted. Hence the collar is supported at a minimum of three points.