123143173
Optical data transmission ASICs for the high-luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) experiments
We present the design and test results of two optical data transmission ASICs for the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) experiments. These ASICs include a two-channel serializer (LOCs2) and a single-channel Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) driver (LOCld1V2). Both ASICs are fabricated in a commercial 0.25-μm Silicon-on-Sapphire (SoS) CMOS technology and operate at a data rate up to 8 Gbps per channel. The power consumption of LOCs2 and LOCld1V2 are 1.25 W and 0.27 W at 8-Gbps data rate, respectively. LOCld1V2 has been verified meeting the radiation-tolerance requirements for HL-LHC experiments.
55746504
The versatile link, a common project for super-LHC
A common project to develop a bi-directional, radiation tolerant, high speed (4.8 Gb/s) optical link for future high energy physics experiments is described. Due to be completed in 2012, it targets the upgrade programs of detectors installed at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The development of radiation and magnetic field tolerant opto-electronic devices, fibre and connectors is described. Both Single-Mode and Multi-Mode versions of the system operating respectively at 850 nm and 1310 nm wavelength are proposed. First results at component and system level are presented, based mostly on commercially available devices.
17189846
A Serializer ASIC at 5 Gbps for Detector Front-end Electronics Readout
Optical data links are used in detector front-end electronics readout systems of experiments in the Tevatron and the LHC. Optical links in high energy particle physics experiments usually have special requirements such as radiation tolerance, ultra high reliability and low power dissipation. These requirements are often not met by commercial components which are designed for applications in non-radiation, accessible (for maintenance) environment, and for multi-vendor systems so the parts must comply with certain standards. Future HEP experiments such as the upgrades for the sLHC call for optical links with ultra high data bandwidth, higher radiation tolerance and ultra low power dissipation. To meet these challenges and in particular those in the upgrade for the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter readout that calls for an optical link system of 100 Gbps for each front-end board, we adopted a full custom front-end electronics system design based on application specific integrated circuits. Reported here are the development and test results of two circuits: a 5 Gbps serializer and a 5 GHz phase locked loop, and a block diagram design for the 100 Gbps optical link.
18954058
Quality Control of Optical Transmitters for the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter
A quality control test is performed on nearly 2000 custom optical transmitters for use in the Liquid Argon Calorimeter of the ATLAS detector. More than 90% of these optical transmitters passed the test and have been installed in the calorimeter readout system. The acceptance criteria, measurement procedure, and results of the quality control test are presented in this note.
33025887
Lifetime Test for Optical Transmitters in the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter Readout System 1
Accelerated lifetime test has been carried out for 147 days on the custom-made optical transmitters used in the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter front-end electronics readout system. The lifetime of these optical transmitters is estimated to be greater than 200 years and exceeds the design goal for the LHC. The random failure rate has been estimated at 9.6×10 -7 per hour at 90% confidence level.
18930090
Installation and Commissioning of the ATLAS LAr Readout Electronics
The Liquid Argon Calorimeter (LAr) is a subsystem in the ATLAS experiment which is being assembled at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The readout electronics system for the LAr is discussed here. The front‐end of the readout will work in radiation environment. This special requirement has led to the development of a large number of rad‐hard ASICs. The back‐end of the readout employs DSPs to process data to reduce transmission bandwidth. The installation and commissioning of this readout is also discussed here.
25651519
New limits on coupling of fundamental constants to gravity using 87Sr optical lattice clocks.
The 1S0-3P0 clock transition frequency nuSr in neutral 87Sr has been measured relative to the Cs standard by three independent laboratories in Boulder, Paris, and Tokyo over the last three years. The agreement on the 1 x 10(-15) level makes nuSr the best agreed-upon optical atomic frequency. We combine periodic variations in the 87Sr clock frequency with 199Hg+ and H-maser data to test local position invariance by obtaining the strongest limits to date on gravitational-coupling coefficients for the fine-structure constant alpha, electron-proton mass ratio mu, and light quark mass. Furthermore, after 199Hg+, 171Yb+, and H, we add 87Sr as the fourth optical atomic clock species to enhance constraints on yearly drifts of alpha and mu.
2486417
Precision test of mass-ratio variations with lattice-confined ultracold molecules.
We propose a precision measurement of time variations of the proton-electron mass ratio using ultracold molecules in an optical lattice. Vibrational energy intervals are sensitive to changes of the mass ratio. In contrast to measurements that use hyperfine-interval-based atomic clocks, the scheme discussed here is model independent and does not require separation of time variations of different physical constants. The possibility of applying the zero-differential-Stark-shift optical lattice technique is explored to measure vibrational transitions at high accuracy.
31462099
Precision stabilization of femtosecond lasers to high-finesse optical cavities
We report on direct stabilization of a femtosecond laser by a high-finesse passive optical cavity. Detailed comparison of two distinct stabilization schemes leads to new understanding of the optimum conditions for cavity stabilization and limitations on the ability to transfer the frequency stability of the cavity to the microwave domain. The stability of the frequency comb is explored in both the optical and the radio frequency domain. With an independent, stable cw laser, we verify that the linewidth and stability of the optical comb components, respectively, reach below 300 Hz and 53 10 ˛14 at 1 s averaging time, both limited by the
7079909
Convergent Evolution of a New Arsenic Binding Site in the ArsR/SmtB Family of Metalloregulators*
Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans has an arsenic resistance operon that is controlled by an As(III)-responsive transcriptional repressor, AfArsR, a member of the ArsR/SmtB family of metalloregulators. AfArsR lacks the As(III) binding site of the ArsRs from plasmid R773 and Escherichia coli, which have a Cys32-Val-Cys34-Asp-Leu-Cys37 sequence in the DNA binding site. In contrast, it has three cysteine residues, Cys95, Cys96, and Cys102, that are not present in the R773 and E. coli ArsRs. The results of direct As(III) binding measurements and x-ray absorption spectroscopy show that these three cysteine residues form a 3-coordinate As(III) binding site. DNA binding studies indicate that binding of As(III) to these cysteine residues produces derepression. Homology modeling indicates that As(III) binding sites in AfArsR are located at the ends of antiparallel C-terminal helices in each monomer that form a dimerization domain. These results suggest that the As(III)-S3 binding sites in AfArsR and R773 ArsR arose independently at spatially distinct locations in their three-dimensional structures.
118401596
Tenfold reduction of Brownian noise in optical interferometry
Thermally induced fluctuations impose a fundamental limit on precision measurement. In optical interferometry, the current bounds of stability and sensitivity are dictated by the excess mechanical damping of the high-reflectivity coatings that comprise the cavity end mirrors. Over the preceding decade, the mechanical loss of these amorphous multilayer reflectors has at best been reduced by a factor of two. Here we demonstrate a new paradigm in optical coating technology based on direct-bonded monocrystalline multilayers, which exhibit both intrinsically low mechanical loss and high optical quality. Employing these "crystalline coatings" as end mirrors in a Fabry-P\'erot cavity, we obtain a finesse of 150,000. More importantly, at room temperature, we observe a thermally-limited noise floor consistent with a tenfold reduction in mechanical damping when compared with the best dielectric multilayers. These results pave the way for the next generation of ultra-sensitive interferometers, as well as for new levels of laser stability.