Břetislav Mikel

Novel Principle of Contactless Gauge Block Calibration

In this paper, a novel principle of contactless gauge block calibration is presented. The principle of contactless gauge block calibration combines low-coherence interferometry and laser interferometry. An experimental setup combines Dowell interferometer and Michelson interferometer to ensure a gauge block length determination with direct traceability to the primary length standard. By monitoring both gauge block sides with a digital camera gauge block 3D surface measurements are possible too. The principle presented is protected by the Czech national patent No. 302948.

Two-Stage System Based on a Software-Defined Radio for Stabilizing of Optical Frequency Combs in Long-Term Experiments

A passive optical resonator is a special sensor used for measurement of lengths on the nanometer and sub-nanometer scale. Astabilized optical frequency comb can provide an ultimate reference for measuring the wavelength of a tunable laser locked to the optical resonator. If we lock the repetition and offset frequencies of the comb to a high-grade radiofrequency (RF) oscillator its relative frequency stability is transferred from the RF to the optical frequency domain. Experiments in the field of precise length metrology of low-expansion materials are usually of long-term nature so it is required that the optical frequency comb stay in operation for an extended period of time. The optoelectronic closed-loop systems used for stabilization of combs are usually based on traditional analog electronic circuits processing signals from photodetectors. From an experimental point of view, these setups are very complicated and sensitive to ambient conditions, especially in the optical part, therefore maintaining long-time operation is not easy. The research presented in this paper deals with a novel approach based on digital signal processing and a software-defined radio. We describe digital signal processing algorithms intended for keeping the femtosecond optical comb in a long-time stable operation. This need arose during specialized experiments involving measurements of optical frequencies of tunable continuous-wave lasers. The resulting system is capable of keeping the comb in lock for an extensive period of time (8 days or more) with the relative stability better than 1.6 × 10−11.

Frequency Noise Suppression of a Single Mode Laser with an Unbalanced Fiber Interferometer for Subnanometer Interferometry

We present a method of noise suppression of laser diodes by an unbalanced Michelson fiber interferometer. The unstabilized laser source is represented by compact planar waveguide external cavity laser module, ORIONTM (Redfern Integrated Optics, Inc.), working at 1540.57 nm with a 1.5-kHz linewidth. We built up the unbalanced Michelson interferometer with a 2.09 km-long arm based on the standard telecommunication single-mode fiber (SMF-28) spool to suppress the frequency noise by the servo-loop control by 20 dB to 40 dB within the Fourier frequency range, remaining the tuning range of the laser frequency.

Monitor of mirror distance of Fabry-Perot cavity by the use of stabilized femtosecond laser comb

The use of an ultra low expansion cavity plays a crucial role in laser stabilization, and in atomic or ion clocks. We propose an easy method of precise monitoring of optical path distance in Fabry-Perot interferometer. The spacing of mirrors of the Fabry-Perot interferometer in ambient air represents the optical path distance referenced to stable optical frequency of the femtosecond mode-locked laser. With the help of highly selective optical filter it is possible to get only a few of separate spectral components of laser comb. Optical path distance is transfered to optical frequency of the comb component and through the repetition frequency of the laser to the radio-frequency domain. Repetition frequency of the laser can be monitored with the uncertainty referenced to the any local oscillator or through the GPS to the atomic clock standard. By using this mehod we are able to measure and lock the Fabry-Perot cavity to a selected single component of optical frequency comb an to measure the optical path distance directly in rf domain.

Narrow-linewidth tunable laser working at 633 nm suitable for industrial interferometry

Semiconductor lasers found a foothold in many fields of human activities, mainly thanks to its small size, low cost and high energy efficiency. Recent methods for accurate distance measurement in industrial practice use principles of laser interferometry, which are based on lasers operating in the visible spectrum. When the laser beam is visible the alignment of the industrial interferometer makes the measuring process easier. Traditional lasers for these purposes for many decades - HeNe gas laser - have superb coherence properties but small tunable range. On the other hand laser diodes are very useful lasers but only if the active layer of the semiconductor equips with a passive selective element that will increase the quality of their own resonator and also prevents the structure of its higher longitudinal modes. The main aim of the work is a design of the laser source based on a new commercial available laser diode with Distributed Bragg Reflector structure, butterfly package and fibre coupled output. The ultra-low noise injection current source, stable temperature controller and supply electronic equipment were developed with us and experimentally tested with this laser for the best performances required of the industrial interferometry field. The work also performs a setup for frequency noise properties investigation with an unbalanced fibre based Mach-Zehnder interferometer and 10 m long fibre spool inserted in the reference arm. The work presents the way to developing the narrow-linewidth operation the DBR laser with the wide tunable range up to more than 1 nm of the operation wavelength at the same time. Both capabilities predetermine this complex setup for the industrial interferometry application as they are the long distance surveying or absolute scale interferometry.

Automatic unit for measuring refractive index of air based on Ciddor equation and its verification using direct interferometric measurement method

In scanning probe microscopy laser interferometers are usually used for measuring the position of the probe tip with a metrological traceability. As the most of the AFM setups are designed to work under standard atmospheric conditions the changes of the refractive index of air have an influence to measured values of the length with 1.0exp(-4) relatively. In order to achieve better accuracies the refractive index of air has to be monitored continuously and its instantaneous value has to be used for compensating the lengths measured by all of the interferometric axes. In the presented work we developed a new concept of an electronic unit which is able to monitor the refractive index of air on basis of measurement of ambient atmospheric conditions: temperature, humidity, pressure of the air and the CO2 concentration. The data processing is based on Ciddor equation for calculating the refractive index of air. The important advantage of the unit is a very low power consumption of the electronics so the unit causes only negligible temperature effects to the measured environment. The accuracy of the indirect measuring method employed by the unit was verified. We tested the accuracy in comparison with a direct method of measuring refractive index of air based on an evacuatable cell placed at the measuring arm of a laser interferometer. An experimental setup used for verification is presented together with a set of measurements describing the performance. The resulting accuracy of the electronic unit falls to the 4.1 exp(-7) relatively.

Evaluation of thermal expansion coefficient of Fabry-Perot cavity using an optical frequency comb

In construction of highly mechanically stable measuring devices like AFM microscopes or nano-comparators the use of low expansion materials is very necessary. We can find Zerodur ceramics or ULE glasses used as a frame or basement of these devices. The expansion coefficient of such low-expansion materials is lower than 0.01 x 10-6 m•K-1. For example in case of a frame or basement 20 cm long it leads to a dilatation approximately 4 nm per 1 K. For calculation of the total uncertainty of the mentioned measuring devices the knowledge of the thermal expansion coefficient of the frame or basement is necessary. In this work we present a method, where small distance changes are transformed into rf-frequency signal. The frequency of this signal is detected by a counter which measures the value of the frequency with respect to an ultra-stable time-base. This method uses a Fabry-Perot cavity as a distance measuring tool. The spacer of the optical resonator is made from the investigated low-expansion material. It is placed into a vacuum chamber where the inside temperature is controlled. A selected mode of the femtosecond frequency of the femtosecond comb which represent the distance changes of the optical resonator. The frequency is measured by the rf-counter which is synchronized by a time-base signal from an atomic clock. The first results show the resolution of the method in the 0.1 nm order. Therefore the method has a potential in characterisation of materials in the nanoworld.

Length characterization of a piezoelectric actuator travel with a mode-locked femtosecond laser

The development of absolute distance measurement methods have been enabled by new kind of lasers, special digital signal processing electronics, algorithms and new materials for optics. The phenomenon of the mode-lock of the femtosecond pulse laser increased a number of potential applications with distance surveying where that stable generator of very short and periodically repeated coherent pulses can be used. The main aim of the work is a description of precise measuring method with absolute scale which is able to determine the length of unknown distance with direct traceability to a time standard. The principle of the method is based on a passive optical cavity with mirrors keeping measured distance, in our case a piezoelectric actuator. Time spacing of short femtosecond pulses generated by mode-locked laser is optically phase locked to the cavity free spectral range. A value of the repetition frequency of the laser determines the measured distance. The exact value of the frequency/period of the femtosecond pulse train is detected by a frequency counter. The counting gate of the counter is synchronized with a highly stable oscillator disciplined by H-maser or GPS received signal from atomic clocks. The work shows methods how to overcome problems with dispersive optics in the passive cavity and a way of phase lock of the femtosecond laser repetition rate to free spectral range of the cavity. This measuring technique is demonstrated on length characterization of the piezoelectric transducer which belongs to ultra-precise positioning actuators.

Digital approach to stabilizing optical frequency combs and beat notes of CW lasers

In cases when it is necessary to lock optical frequencies generated by an optical frequency comb to a precise radio frequency (RF) standard (GPS-disciplined oscillator, H-maser, etc.) the usual practice is to implement phase and frequency-locked loops. Such system takes the signal generated by the RF standard (usually 10 MHz or 100 MHz) as a reference and stabilizes the repetition and offset frequencies of the comb contained in the RF output of the f-2f interferometer. These control loops are usually built around analog electronic circuits processing the output signals from photo detectors. This results in transferring the stability of the standard from RF to optical frequency domain. The presented work describes a different approach based on digital signal processing and software-defined radio algorithms used for processing the f-2f and beat-note signals. Several applications of digital phase and frequency locks to a RF standard are demonstrated: the repetition (frep) and offset frequency (fceo) of the comb, and the frequency of the beat note between a CW laser source and a single component of the optical frequency comb spectrum.

Surface diagnostics using low-coherence interferometry and colour single CCD camera

We describe in this paper a pilot experiment of a white-light fringe analysis with a low-cost color CCD camera. The used detection technique employs the phase-crossing algorithm which identifies the zero optical path difference as the point where the phase difference between the red, green and blue part of the white-light interference fringe becomes equal to zero. An experimental arrangement is based on superluminescent LED diode. The experimental setup is designed to be a crucial part of the complex system for automatic contactless diagnostic and calibration of gauge blocks.