Point Absorber Limits to Future Gravitational-Wave Detectors
High-quality optical resonant cavities require low optical loss, typically on the scale of parts per million. However, unintended micron-scale contaminants on the resonator mirrors that absorb the light circulating in the cavity can deform the surface thermoelastically, and thus increase losses b...
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Physical Society (APS)
2022
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/142160 |
| _version_ | 1810974801749082112 |
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| author | Mavalvala, Nergis |
| author2 | LIGO (Observatory : Massachusetts Institute of Technology) |
| author_facet | LIGO (Observatory : Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Mavalvala, Nergis |
| author_sort | Mavalvala, Nergis |
| collection | MIT |
| description | High-quality optical resonant cavities require low optical loss, typically on
the scale of parts per million. However, unintended micron-scale contaminants
on the resonator mirrors that absorb the light circulating in the cavity can
deform the surface thermoelastically, and thus increase losses by scattering
light out of the resonant mode. The point absorber effect is a limiting factor
in some high-power cavity experiments, for example, the Advanced LIGO
gravitational wave detector. In this Letter, we present a general approach to
the point absorber effect from first principles and simulate its contribution
to the increased scattering. The achievable circulating power in current and
future gravitational-wave detectors is calculated statistically given different
point absorber configurations. Our formulation is further confirmed
experimentally in comparison with the scattered power in the arm cavity of
Advanced LIGO measured by in-situ photodiodes. The understanding presented here
provides an important tool in the global effort to design future gravitational
wave detectors that support high optical power, and thus reduce quantum noise. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T08:29:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/142160 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T08:29:16Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | American Physical Society (APS) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1421602023-02-09T19:55:56Z Point Absorber Limits to Future Gravitational-Wave Detectors Mavalvala, Nergis LIGO (Observatory : Massachusetts Institute of Technology) High-quality optical resonant cavities require low optical loss, typically on the scale of parts per million. However, unintended micron-scale contaminants on the resonator mirrors that absorb the light circulating in the cavity can deform the surface thermoelastically, and thus increase losses by scattering light out of the resonant mode. The point absorber effect is a limiting factor in some high-power cavity experiments, for example, the Advanced LIGO gravitational wave detector. In this Letter, we present a general approach to the point absorber effect from first principles and simulate its contribution to the increased scattering. The achievable circulating power in current and future gravitational-wave detectors is calculated statistically given different point absorber configurations. Our formulation is further confirmed experimentally in comparison with the scattered power in the arm cavity of Advanced LIGO measured by in-situ photodiodes. The understanding presented here provides an important tool in the global effort to design future gravitational wave detectors that support high optical power, and thus reduce quantum noise. 2022-04-28T12:13:48Z 2022-04-28T12:13:48Z 2021 2022-04-28T12:01:40Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/142160 Mavalvala, Nergis. 2021. "Point Absorber Limits to Future Gravitational-Wave Detectors." Physical Review Letters, 127 (24). en 10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.127.241102 Physical Review Letters Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf American Physical Society (APS) APS |
| spellingShingle | Mavalvala, Nergis Point Absorber Limits to Future Gravitational-Wave Detectors |
| title | Point Absorber Limits to Future Gravitational-Wave Detectors |
| title_full | Point Absorber Limits to Future Gravitational-Wave Detectors |
| title_fullStr | Point Absorber Limits to Future Gravitational-Wave Detectors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Point Absorber Limits to Future Gravitational-Wave Detectors |
| title_short | Point Absorber Limits to Future Gravitational-Wave Detectors |
| title_sort | point absorber limits to future gravitational wave detectors |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/142160 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mavalvalanergis pointabsorberlimitstofuturegravitationalwavedetectors |