Enhanced characteristics of fused silica fibers using laser polishing
نویسندگان
چکیده
The search for gravitational wave signals from astrophysical sources has led to the current work to upgrade the two largest of the long-baseline laser interferometers, the LIGO detectors. The first fused silica mirror suspensions for the Advanced LIGO gravitational wave detectors have been installed at the LIGO Hanford and Livingston sites. These quadruple pendulums use synthetic fused silica fibers produced using a CO2 laser pulling machine to reduce thermal noise in the final suspension stage. The suspension thermal noise in Advanced LIGO is predicted to be limited by internal damping in the surface layer of the fibers, damping in the weld regions, and the strength of the fibers. We present here a new method for increasing the fracture strength of fused silica fibers by laser polishing of the stock material from which they are produced. We Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI. 0264-9381/14/105006+14$33.00 © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK 1 Class. Quantum Grav. 31 (2014) 105006 A Heptonstall et al also show measurements of mechanical loss in laser polished fibers, showing a reduction of 30% in internal damping in the surface layer.
منابع مشابه
Using STED and ELSM confocal microscopy for a better knowledge of fused silica polished glass interface.
Characteristics and nature of close surface defects existing in fused silica polished optical surfaces were explored. Samples were deliberately scratched using a modified polishing process in presence of different fluorescent dyes. Various techniques including Epi-fluorescence Laser Scanning Mode (ELSM) or STimulated Emission Depletion (STED) confocal microscopy were used to measure and quantif...
متن کاملEffect of Polishing-Induced Subsurface Impurity Defects on Laser Damage Resistance of Fused Silica Optics and Their Removal with HF Acid Etching
Laser-induced damage on fused silica optics remains a major issue that limits the promotion of energy output of large laser systems. Subsurface impurity defects inevitably introduced in the practical polishing process incur strong thermal absorption for incident lasers, seriously lowering the laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT). Here, we simulate the temperature and thermal stress distributio...
متن کاملPolishing-induced contamination of fused silica optics and laser induced damage density at 351 nm.
In this paper we study the effect of contamination induced by fabrication process on laser damage density of fused silica polished parts at 351 nm in nanosecond regime. We show, owing to recent developments of our raster scan metrology, that a good correlation exists between damage density and concentration of certain contaminants for the considered parts.
متن کاملDamage to Fused-Silica, Spatial-Filter Lenses on the OMEGA Laser System
114 LLE Review, Volume 78 Vacuum surface damage to fused-silica, spatial-filter lenses is the most prevalent laser-damage problem occurring on the OMEGA laser system. Approximately one-half of the stage-Cinput and output, D-input, E-input, and F-input spatial-filter lenses are currently damaged with millimeter-scale fracture sites. With the establishment of safe operational damage criteria, las...
متن کاملInvited article: CO2 laser production of fused silica fibers for use in interferometric gravitational wave detector mirror suspensions.
In 2000 the first mirror suspensions to use a quasi-monolithic final stage were installed at the GEO600 detector site outside Hannover, pioneering the use of fused silica suspension fibers in long baseline interferometric detectors to reduce suspension thermal noise. Since that time, development of the production methods of fused silica fibers has continued. We present here a review of a novel ...
متن کامل