INVERSE LASER CAVITY DESIGN

Abstract

Fabry-Perot cavities are important for laser stabilization in optical clocks. The current configurations of the laser cavities are able to minimize the optical length deformation but are not good enough for outfield use. We explore an alternative approach that could lead to an optimal laser cavity by using inverse design to obtain better laser cavities, by implementing a genetic algorithm with as little constraints as possible. This algorithm explores a much larger solution space than conventional optimization methods and also takes into account the overall deformation of the cavity. We explore both subtractive and generative designs and obtain wildly different configurations that keep the optical length small while minimizing the overall deformation. This work provides a good foundation in finding an optimal laser cavity and a higher resolution experiment with optimized code could in the future be able to deduce an optimal laser cavity suitable for outfield use.