Angled beam expander telescopes for the Michelson beams in third generation gravitational wave observatories.

The third generation of Gravitational Wave detectors like the Einstein Telescope or the Cosmic Explorer will be Michelson interferometers with Fabry-Perot cavities in the arms, using mirror test masses with diameter at the limit of technical feasibility. Unlike other detectors, the Einstein Telescope will have a 60° angle between the arms. Because of its larger incidence angle, at any given beam size, it would require beam splitters almost double in size and much heavier than the 90° case. It is proposed here to install beam expander telescopes with angled mirrors located inside the Michelson interferometer between the Fabry-Perot cavities and the beam splitter. In addition to reducing the beam sizes and the beam splitter to manageable sizes, the proposed solution allows to bring the optimal recombination angle to 90°. The proposed geometry also offers a natural way to separate the beam splitters of different detectors into individual, smaller and more stable caverns thus improving observatory observation-time efficiency, to provide needed beam diagnostic points and convenient degrees of freedom for beam alignment into both the Fabry Perot cavities and the beam splitter, as well as to provide a method for maintaining optimal mode matching of the two arms onto the beam splitter without thermal compensation plates.

Prototype of Rainfall Intensity Measurement Using CCD TSL1401CL Linear Sensor Array

A prototype measurement of rainfall intensity was developed using a CCD TSL1401CL linear sensor array. The prototype consists of a He-Ne laser that functions as a light source, which later is focused by the beam expander and conditioned by a convex lens. Each pixel will receive the same voltage depending on the light intensity so that it produces a decimal value of ADC. This ADC decimal value determines rainfall intensity based on the diameter and velocity of the raindrops. The diameter variations used ranges from 1 mm to 10 mm, while for variations in the height of rainfall are 50 cm, 100 cm, and 150 cm. The test results proved that the greater the decimal value of the ADC is, the smaller the diameter of the raindrops detected will be, and vice versa. The values of the diameter and velocity of were used to obtain the value of rainfall intensity. The percentage value of error measuring rainfall intensity is 3.11% when compared to the rain gauge module is still considered rather accurate. However, direct testing is still needed when rain falls with various types and intensities.

Instability Risk and Beam Profile Variation in Optical Ring Resonator due to Thin Gradient Index Lens

In this study, a simple ring resonator model in presence of thin gradient index (GRIN) lens is investigated to characterize the optical beam maginification quality beyond its traditional modalities. This model allow us to vary and control the limit of resonator stability more significantly.It consist of two folding arms and each arm can be realized by its cavity components. Insertation of thin GRIN lens ( thickness < 9.3mm) in ring resonator, mainly in between first folding range gives the magnified output beams and meets the beam expander feature for the laser. Variation of GRIN lens thickness (L) is an emphatic and influencing parameter than its refractive index (n) to disturb the resonator stability. Resonator stability in Tangential (T) plane is relatively more sensitive than sagittal (S) plane. Vigorous magnification in optical beam size at the end of output range in a cavity is the noticeable consequences because of GRIN lens.

On-chip arbitrary-mode spot size conversion

Manipulating on-chip optical modes via components in analogy with free-space devices provides intuitional light control, and this concept has been adopted to implement single-lens–assisted spot size conversion using integrated device. However, the reported schemes have been demonstrated only for fundamental mode, while high-order or irregular modes are preferred in specific applications. The 4-f system is widely used in Fourier optics for optical information processing. Under the inspiration of the 4-f system and the beam expander in bulk optics, a spot size converter (SSC) with two metamaterial-based graded-index waveguides is proposed and demonstrated. The proposed device is capable of widening an arbitrary mode while preserving its profile shape. Compared with conventional SSC using adiabatic taper, the footprint can be reduced by 91.5% under a same intermode crosstalk. Experimentally, an expansion ratio of five is demonstrated for regular modes. Furthermore, for an irregular mode, the functionality is numerically verified without structure modification. This work offers a universal solution to on-chip spot size conversion and may broaden the on-chip application prospects of Fourier optics.