Temperature-dependent mechanical losses of Eu³⁺:Y₂SiO₅ for spectral hole burning laser stabilization

authored by

Nico Wagner, Michael T. Hartman, Bess Fang, Johannes Dickmann, Stefanie Kroker

Abstract

We investigate the mechanical loss characteristics of Eu³⁺:Y₂SiO₅—a promising candidate for ultra-low-noise frequency stabilization through the spectral hole burning technique. Three different mechanical oscillators with varying surface-to-volume ratios and crystal orientations are evaluated. In this context, we perform mechanical ringdown and spectral measurements spanning temperatures from room temperature down to 15 K. By doing so, we measure a maximum mechanical quality factor of Q = 3676, corresponding to a loss angle of ϕ = 2.72 × 10⁻⁴. For a spectral hole burning laser stabilization experiment at 300 mK, we can estimate the Allan deviation of the fractional frequency instability due to Brownian thermal noise to be below σ δ ν / ν 0 = 2.4 × 1 0 − 18 , a value lower than the estimated thermal-noise limit of any current cavity-referenced ultra-stable laser experiment.

External Organisation(s)

Technische Universität Braunschweig
Laboratory for Emerging Nanometrology Braunschweig (LENA)
Observatoire de Paris (OBSPARIS)
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt PTB

Type

Article

Journal

APL materials

Volume

13

ISSN

2166-532X

Publication date

01.06.2025

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Materials Science, General Engineering

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0258703 (Access: Open)