Abstract
We have developed an inertially sensitive optomechanical laser by combining a vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) with a monolithic fused silica resonator. By placing the external cavity mirror of the VECSEL onto the optomechanical resonator test mass, we create a sensor where external accelerations are directly transcribed onto the lasing frequency. We developed a proof-of-principle laboratory prototype and observe test mass oscillations at the resonance frequency of the sensor through the VECSEL lasing frequency, $4.18 \pm 0.03\;{\rm Hz}$. In addition, we set up an ancillary heterodyne interferometer to track the motion of the mechanical oscillator’s test mass, observing a resonance of $4.194 \pm 0.004\;{\rm Hz}$. The interferometer measurements validate the VECSEL results, confirming the feasibility of using optomechanical lasers for inertial sensing.
© 2020 Optical Society of America
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