Optimizing nanostructure deposition process for optical applications

In many physics and engineering applications requiring exceptional precision, the presence of highly reflective coatings with low thermal noise is of utmost significance. These applications include high-resolution spectroscopy, optical atomic clocks, and investigations into fundamental physics such as gravitational wave detection. Enhancing sensitivity in these experiments relies on effectively reducing the thermal noise originating from the coatings. While ion beam sputtering (IBS) is typically employed for fabricating such coatings, electron beam evaporation can also be utilized and offers certain advantages over IBS, such as versatility and speed. However, a significant challenge in the fabrication process has been the limitations of the quartz crystal monitor used to measure the thickness of the deposited layers. This paper showcases how, through hardware and software upgrades, it becomes achievable to create high-density coatings with layers as thin as a few angstroms by using electron beam evaporation (OAC75F coater) with a deposition rate of 1 Å/s and ion-assisted source with a gas mixture of oxygen and argon, using a pressure of about 4 × 10−4 mbar. Furthermore, these upgrades enable the attainment of high levels of precision and uniformity in the thickness of the coatings.