Laser System for the LISA Mission

Recent detection of gravitational waves (GWs) by ground-based instruments and the success of the LISA pathfinder mission motivate the swift implementation of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission. LISA aims at the detection of low frequency GWs in space with optical interferometry among three satellites flying in a triangular formation with 2.5 million km arm length. Power stability, spectral purity and frequency stability of the lasers are extremely important for achieving the desirable instrument sensitivity. Here we present a prototype of a laser system demonstrating performance which is already close to the mission requirements at high offset frequencies. The prototype is based on technologies that are compatible with future space qualification.