title: Offset compensation by use of amplitude-modulated sidebands in optical frequency standards.
abstract: We present a general method for continuously measuring and compensating for offsets (due to residual amplitude modulation, parasitic resonances, or electronic offset voltages, for example) in frequency stabilization systems. The spectral power distribution of the oscillator waveform is modified by amplitude-modulated sidebands, and the error signal is corrected to null the induced periodic lock-point shifts. We demonstrate significant improvements to the frequency stability of standards based on cryogenic optical resonators and molecular iodine.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Hausvogteiplatz 5-7, 10117 Berlin, Germany. holger.mueller@physik.hu-berlin.de
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schuldt
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.forename: Evgeny
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kovalchuk
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peters