Abstract

A highly stable and robust laser system is a key component of the space-based LISA mission architecture. We describe our progress and plans to demonstrate a TRL 5 LISA laser system at Goddard Space Flight Center by 2020. The laser system includes a low-noise oscillator followed by a power fiber amplifier. The oscillator is a low-mass, compact external cavity laser, consisting of a semiconductor laser coupled to an optical cavity, built by the laser vendor Redfern Integrated Optics. The amplifier is a diode-pumped Yb fiber with 2.5 W output, built at Goddard. We show noise and reliability data for the full laser system, and describe our plans to reach TRL 5.

Highlights

  • The past year has seen the opening of the field of Gravitational Wave Astronomy, due to the LIGO discovery of gravitational radiation from a merging Black Hole Binary system [1]

  • We are pursuing an all-fiber/waveguide space laser solution based on the MOFA configuration, which is a waveguide-based oscillator followed by a preamplifier and a power amplifier (Fig. 1)

  • These components naturally fit into the high precision LISA laser system because of their high mechanical robustness, excellent reliability, compact form factor, and high wallplug efficiency

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Summary

Introduction

The past year has seen the opening of the field of Gravitational Wave Astronomy, due to the LIGO discovery of gravitational radiation from a merging Black Hole Binary system [1]. We are pursuing an all-fiber/waveguide space laser solution based on the MOFA (master oscillator fiber amplifier) configuration, which is a waveguide-based oscillator followed by a preamplifier and a power amplifier (Fig. 1). These components naturally fit into the high precision LISA laser system because of their high mechanical robustness, excellent reliability, compact form factor, and high wallplug efficiency. Lucent Government Solutions (LGS) planned and oversaw the tests, which involved vacuum thermal cycling, hermiticity, radiation, and accelerated aging [6] For these reasons, the 1550-nm PW-ECL was adopted as the metrology laser for the OpTIIX mission [7] on the International Space Station. A clean output spectrum was observed with low Amplitude-Stimulated Emission (ASE) floor

Laser System Noise Testing
Findings
Future Plans Remaining work on the US laser system for LISA includes

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