An Experiment to Test the Mechanical Losses of Different Bonding Techniques in Fused Silica

High-purity glasses are used for their low optical and mechanical loss, which makes them an excellent material for oscillators in optical systems, such as inertial sensors. Complex geometries often require the assembly of multiple pieces of glass and their permanent bonding. One common method is hydroxide catalysis bonding, which leaves an enclosed medium layer. This layer has different mechanical properties to the bulk glass around it. The higher mechanical loss of this layer makes it more susceptible to displacement noise originating from the conversion of energy from oscillation to heat and vice versa. Therefore, other methods are needed to bond together glass assemblies. To investigate this, we have set up an experiment to measure the mechanical losses of several different types of bond commonly used in fused silica manufacturing, namely; plasma activated direct bonding, hydroxide catalysis bonding, laser welding, and adhesive bonding. In this paper we present the experimental design and show initial results of the first test sample.