# Suppression of Classical and Quantum Radiation Pressure Noise via Electro-Optic Feedback

## Abstract

We present theoretical results that demonstrate a new technique to be used to improve the sensitivity of thermal noise measurements: intra-cavity intensity stabilisation. It is demonstrated that electro-optic feedback can be used to reduce intra-cavity intensity fluctuations, and the consequent radiation pressure fluctuations, by a factor of two below the quantum noise limit. We show that this is achievable in the presence of large classical intensity fluctuations on the incident laser beam. The benefits of this scheme are a consequence of the sub-Poissonian intensity statistics of the field inside a feedback loop, and the quantum non-demolition nature of radiation pressure noise as a readout system for the intra-cavity intensity fluctuations.

To be published in Optics Letters

Interferometric gravity wave detectors measure the relative motion of suspended mirrors. Any fluctuation in mirror position, other than that due to a gravity wave, is undesirable. One significant source of mirror motion is that due to thermal noise . This is the result of resonant modes of the the mechanical mirror and suspension system being excited by their intrinsic thermal energy. Methods of measuring thermal noise are important for the development of low noise mirror and suspension systems.

We will consider the thermal noise measurement system shown in figure 1. For clarity, the figure shows a ring cavity used for thermal noise measurement while in practice a linear Fabry-Perot cavity will be used. The cavity is locked to the laser using reflection locking . The laser is frequency stabilized using a reference cavity which is long compared to the test cavity. Above the bandwidth of this locking system, (experimentally this could be above 10Hz) the error signal will represent a measurement of the phase noise of the reflected beam. With the laser sufficiently stabilized by the reference cavity, the phase noise measured by the error signal will be due to cavity detuning. In the absence of seismic and acoustic noise, the detuning is due to thermal and radiation pressure noise. It is the radiation pressure noise which will limit the performance of this thermal noise measurement system.

An impedance-matched cavity is considered for two reasons. Firstly, it gives optimum phase sensitivity to the reflection locking system. Secondly, with no reflected carrier intensity the locking error signal represents a quantum limited measure of the phase noise of the reflected field. A fully reflective cavity, on the other hand, would require a local oscillator beam to make a quantum limited measurement of the phase noise of the reflected beam. Phase noise measurement on the reflected beam is therefore considerably simplified for an impedance matched cavity.

To find the limiting performance of this system, we will model it using the input/output formulation of optical cavities . After linearization, this method provides frequency domain expressions for the amplitude and phase quadrature fluctuation operators which in turn yield expressions for the phase and intensity noise spectra . Assuming the experiment is isolated from all seismic and acoustic sources, the dimensionless time domain cavity mode annihilation operator $`\widehat{a}`$ will be given by

$`\dot{\widehat{a}}`$ $`=`$ $`\left(\kappa +ı\delta \widehat{X}_{\mathrm{\Delta }_T}+ı\delta \widehat{X}_{\mathrm{\Delta }_R}\right)\widehat{a}`$ (1)   
$`+\sqrt{2\kappa _{in}}\widehat{A}_{in}+\sqrt{2\kappa _{out}}\delta \widehat{A}_\nu +\sqrt{2\kappa _L}\delta \widehat{A}_L,`$   
where $`\delta \widehat{X}_{\mathrm{\Delta }_T}`$ is the quadrature operator for the cavity detuning due to the thermal noise of the cavity and $`\delta \widehat{X}_{\mathrm{\Delta }_R}`$ is the quadrature operator for detuning due to radiation pressure. These operators have units of $`1/sec`$. The term $`\widehat{A}_{in}`$ is the field operator for the laser input to the cavity; $`\delta \widehat{A}_\nu `$ is the field operator for the vacuum entering at the cavity output mirror and $`\delta \widehat{A}_L`$ is the field operator for the vacuum noise due to intra-cavity loss. These terms have units of $`1/\sqrt{sec}`$. The $`\delta `$ indicates that an operator represents a small fluctuation and the expectation value of the operator is 0. The rate constants in Eq. 1 are: $`\kappa _{in}`$, the cavity loss through the front cavity mirror; $`\kappa _{out}`$, the cavity loss through the rear cavity mirror and $`\kappa _L`$, the intra-cavity loss. The sum of these three rates is the total cavity loss rate, $`\kappa `$. We are interested in the fluctuations of the cavity system about steady state, so the operators in the above equation which are not already fluctuation operators are written in the form $`\widehat{a}=\alpha +\delta \widehat{a}`$ and $`\widehat{A}_{in}=A_{in}+\delta \widehat{A}_{in}`$ where $`\alpha `$ and $`A_{in}`$ are the (assumed real) steady state values for the cavity mode amplitude and the input field amplitude respectively. These are substituted into Eq. 1 which is then linearized by retaining only first order fluctuation terms. Taking the Fourier transform allows solution for the frequency domain cavity mode fluctuation operator, $`\delta \stackrel{~}{a}`$, where tildes will be used to indicate Fourier domain operators.

Using the relation $`\delta \stackrel{~}{A}_{ref}=\sqrt{2\kappa _{in}}\delta \stackrel{~}{a}\delta \stackrel{~}{A}_{in}`$  between the reflected field fluctuations $`\delta \stackrel{~}{A}_{ref}`$ and the cavity mode, we may find an expression for the phase quadrature operator of the reflected field fluctuations $`\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_{ref}}^{}`$ where the phase quadrature of an operator $`\stackrel{~}{b}`$ is defined as $`\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_b^{}=i(\delta \stackrel{~}{b}\delta \stackrel{~}{b}^{})`$. The RF phase noise spectrum, $`V_{ref}^{}(\omega )`$, is evaluated using the relation $`\delta (\omega \omega ^{})V_{ref}^{}(\omega )=\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_{ref}}^{}(\omega )\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_{ref}}^{^{}}(\omega ^{})`$ giving

$$V_{ref}^{}(\omega )=1+\frac{8\kappa _{in}\alpha ^2\left(V_{\mathrm{\Delta }_R}(\omega )+V_{\mathrm{\Delta }_T}(\omega )\right)+\left((2\kappa _{in}\kappa )^2+\omega ^2\right)(V_{in}^{}(\omega )1)}{\omega ^2+\kappa ^2}$$
(2)   
We have used the fact that the variance of the quantum vacuum fields is normalized to 1. The phase noise of the reflected field therefore represents a measurement of the thermal noise spectrum of the cavity, $`V_{\mathrm{\Delta }_T}(\omega )`$, provided the other noise sources are small enough compared to the thermal noise present in the system. The phase noise of the input field, $`V_{in}^{}(\omega )`$, can be brought close to $`1`$ (i.e. a coherent state) by using a suitable reference cavity for laser stabilisation. This noise source can therefore be neglected. The only other noise source we can control is the radiation pressure noise $`V_{\mathrm{\Delta }_R}(\omega )`$. We will assume that there is a transfer function, $`F(\omega )`$, between the intra-cavity intensity fluctuations, $`V_a(\omega )`$, and the phase noise due to the radiation pressure fluctuations  so that

$$V_{\mathrm{\Delta }_R}(\omega )=F(\omega )V_a(\omega ).$$
(3)   
Logically, an effective method for improving the measurement of thermal noise is to reduce the intra-cavity intensity noise. Using a derivation analogous to that given above for the phase noise, the frequency domain amplitude quadrature noise operator (defined as $`\delta \stackrel{~}{a}+\delta \stackrel{~}{a}^{}`$) of the cavity mode is given by

$$\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_a(\omega )=\frac{\sqrt{2\kappa _{in}}\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_{in}}+\sqrt{2\kappa _{out}}\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_\nu }+\sqrt{2\kappa _L}\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_L}}{\kappa +ı\omega }.$$
(4)   
By evaluating $`\delta (\omega \omega ^{})V_a(\omega )=\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_a(\omega )\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_a^{}(\omega ^{})`$ the cavity mode intensity noise is found to be

$$V_a(\omega )=\frac{2\kappa _{in}V_{in}+2\kappa _{out}+2\kappa _L}{\kappa ^2+\omega ^2}.$$
(5)   
Assuming we are well within the cavity line-width ($`\omega <<\kappa `$), the best we can do without using a squeezed state of light is a coherent state, i.e. $`V_{in}(\omega )=1`$, in which case we find

$$V_a=\frac{2}{\kappa }.$$
(6)   
The effect of a feedback system, shown by the dotted parts of figure 1 will now be considered. The light transmitted by the cavity is detected and fed-back to an amplitude modulator in the input field. We model its effect by modifying the form of the input field amplitude quadrature fluctuation  so that

$$\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_{in}}\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_{in}}\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_R,$$
(7)   
where $`\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_R`$ are the extra amplitude fluctuations added by the modulator. This form of the feedback is justified provided the amplitude modulator is just that, and adds no additional phase signal. The minus sign in Eq. 7 is chosen so that later results agree with conventional control theory notation. The operator $`\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_R`$ will be a function of the field detected by the feedback detector, which in turn is a function of the intra-cavity amplitude fluctuations. The operator $`\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_R`$ may be written as

$$\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_R=\sqrt{2\kappa _{out}\eta }K(\omega )\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_aK(\omega )\left(\sqrt{\eta }\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_\nu }+\sqrt{1\eta }\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_D}\right),$$
(8)   
where $`\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_D}`$ is the vacuum noise operator introduced by an imperfect detector with efficiency $`\eta `$ and $`K(\omega )`$ is the transfer function of the electronics in the feedback loop. The phase of $`K(\omega )`$ must be engineered to ensure feedback loop stability. Substituting Equations 7 and 8 into Equation 4 and re-evaluating the intra-cavity intensity noise spectrum we find that feedback gives

$$V_a^f=\frac{2\kappa _{in}V_{in}+2\kappa _{in}(1\eta )|K(\omega )|^2+\left|\sqrt{2\eta \kappa _{in}}K(\omega )+\sqrt{2\kappa _{out}}\right|^2+2\kappa _L}{\left|\kappa +ı\omega +2\sqrt{\kappa _{out}\kappa _{in}\eta }K(\omega )\right|^2}$$
(9)   
In the limit of low frequency ($`\omega <<\kappa `$) and high gain ($`|K(\omega )|\mathrm{}`$) we find that

$$V_a^f=\frac{1}{2\eta \kappa _{out}}$$
(10)   
The contributions to this spectrum in the limit of high gain come only from the vacuum noise entering the back of the cavity, $`\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_\nu }`$, and vacuum noise due to inefficient photo-detection, $`\delta \stackrel{~}{X}_{A_D}`$. Noise due to intra-cavity loss and the input laser intensity noise are fully suppressed by the feedback loop. Comparing the intra-cavity intensity noise with feedback (Eq. 10) to that found for a coherent input in Eq. 6 we find

$$\frac{V_a^f}{V_a}=\frac{\kappa }{4\eta \kappa _{out}}$$
(11)   
If we consider an impedance matched cavity, with $`\kappa _{in}=\kappa _{out}=\kappa /2`$ and $`\kappa _L=0`$ we obtain

$$\frac{V_a^f}{V_a}=\frac{1}{2\eta }.$$
(12)   
Equation 12 shows that in the case of an impedance matched cavity and 100% efficient photodetection, the system provides a factor of two reduction of intra-cavity intensity noise compared to that found for a coherent input. A factor of two reduction in intra-cavity intensity noise naturally leads, via Eq. 3, to a corresponding reduction in radiation pressure noise therefore enhancing the performance of our thermal noise measurement. This improvement is independent of any classical intensity noise present on the input laser beam because, in the high gain limit, all classical noise is suppressed by the feedback loop.

To highlight the applicability of this technique to real experiments we present a sample calculation based on measured parameters of a realistic Fabry-Perot cavity. With a transmission efficiency of 95%, and 1% power reflection, we can infer the cavity parameters to be $`\kappa _{in}=\kappa _{out}=4.9\kappa _L`$. Given detectors with a quantum efficiency of 91%, equation 11 gives an intra-cavity intensity noise (and therefore radiation pressure noise) suppression of 2.2dB relative to a coherent laser input. For the diode pumped Nd:YAG lasers commonly used in the authors’ laboratory, intensity fluctuations at low frequency are typically 60dB above the standard quantum limit . In order to satisfy the high gain limit, a loop gain of approximately 80dB or greater is required. This is readily achieved using high speed analogue electronics as part of a well designed feedback loop.

The above description shows the power fluctuations of the intra-cavity field to be “squashed” below those found for a coherent state. However, the intra-cavity field is not squeezed. An intensity squeezed state has increased phase noise whereas feedback has no such phase noise penalty. Other authors have described in detail the peculiar nature of fields inside a feedback loop. Shapiro  showed explicitly that the in-loop field does not obey free field commutators. Although it has also been shown by Haus  that the commutator relations for a cavity mode inside a feedback loop are preserved. To see the intensity noise squashing of light inside a feedback loop is not easy. In fact it requires the use of a quantum non-demolition (QND) measurement of the in-loop field . Our scheme benefits from the in-loop squashing because radiation pressure noise is a *QND* probe of the intra-cavity intensity noise . The suppressed in-loop noise is therefore evident on the readout of the radiation pressure noise present on the phase quadrature of the field reflected from the cavity.

Finally, it is worth noting that within the bandwidth of the intensity feedback loop, the out-of-loop field (in this case this is the reflected field from the cavity) will always have super-Poissonian intensity noise due to the quantum measurement penalty . This *intensity* noise penalty does not, however, affect the readout of the *phase* noise by the reflection locking technique. This would not be the case if this experiment were to be performed with real amplitude squeezed light. One would obtain a reduction in the radiation pressure noise, however the increased phase noise which comes with amplitude squeezed light would impinge upon the phase measurement of the reflected field.

###### Acknowledgements.

The authors would like to thank H.-A Bachor for useful discussions. This work was supported by the Australian Research Council.