1.
Appl Opt
; 42(22): 4584-9, 2003 Aug 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-12916625
ABSTRACT
We describe the use of a synchronously pumped ringdown cavity for measuring total optical losses, absorption and scattering, in thin optical films of arbitrary thickness on transparent substrates. This technique is compared with a single-pulse ringdown cavity regime and is shown to have a superior signal-to-noise ratio and resolution. We also provide an analysis of the factors affecting the resolution of the technique. Using this ringdown cavity pumped by a conventional mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser, we experimentally detect losses of only 58 +/- 9 and 112 +/- 9 parts per million in Ta2O5 and SiO2 films, respectively. To our knowledge, these are so far the lowest losses measured in thin films on stand-alone transparent substrates.