Ultrahigh long-term dimensional stability of a sapphire cryogenic optical resonator

Opt Lett. 1998 Jul 1;23(13):1031-3. doi: 10.1364/ol.23.001031.

Abstract

We report on the ultrahigh long-term dimensional stability of a crystalline cryogenic optical resonator (CORE) cooled to liquid-helium temperature. The frequency of a Nd:YAG laser stabilized to a CORE was compared over long times with an independent laser system, a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser stabilized to a hyperfine line of molecular iodine at 532 nm. Over a 6-month period the drift was less than 3 kHz. The dimensional stability of the CORE is thus more than 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of the best ultralow-expansion glass ceramic cavities at room temperature.