title: Readout for intersatellite laser interferometry: Measuring low frequency phase fluctuations of high-frequency signals with microradian precision.
abstract: Precision phase readout of optical beat note signals is one of the core techniques required for intersatellite laser interferometry. Future space based gravitational wave detectors like eLISA require such a readout over a wide range of MHz frequencies, due to orbit induced Doppler shifts, with a precision in the order of μrad/√Hz at frequencies between 0.1 mHz and 1 Hz. In this paper, we present phase readout systems, so-called phasemeters, that are able to achieve such precisions and we discuss various means that have been employed to reduce noise in the analogue circuit domain and during digitisation. We also discuss the influence of some non-linear noise sources in the analogue domain of such phasemeters. And finally, we present the performance that was achieved during testing of the elegant breadboard model of the LISA phasemeter, which was developed in the scope of a European Space Agency technology development activity.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, and Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gerberding
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, and Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diekmann
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, and Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kullmann
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, and Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tröbs
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, and Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Ioury
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bykov
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, and Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barke
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, and Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Nils Christopher
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Brause
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, and Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Esteban Delgado
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, and Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Schwarze
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, and Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reiche
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, and Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Danzmann
authors.affiliation: Axcon ApS, Diplomvej 381, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Torben
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: Axcon ApS, Diplomvej 381, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Torben Vendt
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Axcon ApS, Diplomvej 381, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Enggaard
authors.affiliation: DTU Space, National Space Institute, The Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej 327, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Søren Møller
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: European Space Research and Technology Centre, European Space Agency, Keplerlaan 1, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jennrich
authors.affiliation: European Space Research and Technology Centre, European Space Agency, Keplerlaan 1, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suess
authors.affiliation: European Space Research and Technology Centre, European Space Agency, Keplerlaan 1, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Zoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sodnik
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, and Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heinzel