Encapsulated subwavelength grating as a quasi-monolithic resonant reflector

verfasst von
Frank Brückner, Daniel Friedrich, Michael Britzger, Tina Clausnitzer, Oliver Burmeister, Ernst Bernhard Kley, Karsten Danzmann, Andreas Tünnermann, Roman Schnabel
Abstract

For a variety of laser interferometric experiments, the thermal noise of high-reflectivity multilayer dielectric coatings limits the measurement sensitivity. Recently, monolithic high-reflection waveguide mirrors with nanostructured surfaces have been proposed to reduce the thermal noise in interferometric measurements. Drawbacks of this approach are a highly complicated fabrication process and the high susceptibility of the nanostructured surfaces to damage and pollution. Here, we propose and demonstrate a novel quasi-monolithic resonant surface reflector that also avoids the thick dielectric stack of conventional mirrors but has a flat and robust surface. Our reflector is an encapsulated subwavelength grating that is based on silicon. We measured a high reflectivity of 93 % for a wavelength of λ = 1.55 μm under normal incidence. Perfect reflectivities are possible in theory.

Organisationseinheit(en)
Institut für Gravitationsphysik
Externe Organisation(en)
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut)
Typ
Artikel
Journal
Optics express
Band
17
Seiten
24334-24341
Anzahl der Seiten
8
ISSN
1094-4087
Publikationsdatum
21.12.2009
Publikationsstatus
Veröffentlicht
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Atom- und Molekularphysik sowie Optik
Elektronische Version(en)
https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.17.024334 (Zugang: Offen)