ABSTRACT
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and its metrology chain have to fulfill stringent performance requirements to enable the space-based detection of gravitational waves. This implies the necessity of performance verification methods. In particular, the extraction of the interferometric phase, implemented by a phasemeter, needs to be probed for linearity and phase noise contributions. This Letter reports on a hexagonal quasimonolithic optical bench implementing a three-signal test for this purpose. Its characterization as sufficiently stable down to picometer levels is presented as well as its usage for a benchmark phasemeter performance measurement under LISA conditions. These results make it a candidate for the core of a LISA metrology verification facility.
ABSTRACT
The Laser Ranging Interferometer (LRI) instrument on the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Follow-On mission has provided the first laser interferometric range measurements between remote spacecraft, separated by approximately 220 km. Autonomous controls that lock the laser frequency to a cavity reference and establish the 5 degrees of freedom two-way laser link between remote spacecraft succeeded on the first attempt. Active beam pointing based on differential wave front sensing compensates spacecraft attitude fluctuations. The LRI has operated continuously without breaks in phase tracking for more than 50 days, and has shown biased range measurements similar to the primary ranging instrument based on microwaves, but with much less noise at a level of 1 nm/sqrt[Hz] at Fourier frequencies above 100 mHz.