Event time:
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 - 11:00am to 12:00pm
Audience:
YQI Researchers
Location:
YQI Seminar Room
Event description:
Optics and Physics of Gravitational Wave Interferometers
The multi-kilometer scale gravitational wave detectors are arguably the largest quantum experiments; with particles whose mass is 40 kg. They rely on the deployment of quantum sensing techniques to achieve their incredible sensitivity, which cannot be achieved in any other way. To gain this quantum noise limited sensitivity a whole host of other technical problems must be solved by pushing the limits of lasers, optics and materials science. In this talk I will review the technologies that are crucial to gravitational wave detectors and where these detectors are heading.
Bio of Professor David Ottaway
David Ottaway gained his PhD in laser physics from the University of Adelaide in 1999, exploring laser systems for use in the first generation of gravitational wave detectors. In 2000 he joined the LIGO Laboratory, initially at the LIGO Hanford Observatory and moved to the LIGO MIT Group in 2001. Whilst there he worked on a large number of LIGO technologies ranging from early opto-mechanics experiments, thermal compensation systems and even seismic isolations systems. His work led to the power handling of the initial LIGO systems being tripled. In 2007 he returned to The University of Adelaide and joined the Physics faculty in 2009. At The University of Adelaide he researches novel laser and optical systems for deployment on the LIGO detectors and other forms of extreme remote sensing. This led him to develop the first near watt level fibre lasers to emit light well into the mid-infrared at 3.6 um.
Livestream on zoom here (Yale login required)