Impact and Mitigation of Wavefront Distortions in Precision Interferometry
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: School of Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Ultra-stable laser interferometry has become a cornerstone of precision metrology. Understanding higher-order optical modes is of particular interest to the Laser Interferometric Gravitational Wave (GW) detection community. Recent research at detectors shows that mode mismatches account for a significant amount of the squeezing loss, which reduces the range of the detector.
The aim of this project is to investigate a novel technique which directly access the mode structure of a laser beam. We will improve the dynamic range of the technique, characterise the design tradeoff's and determine predominant noise sources across the frequency range relevant to GW detection. Such a device could be used during the commissioning of precision metrology devices to improve signal to noise of the setup, in the case of LIGO this can improve the detection rate and signal to noise ratio of high frequency sources such as Binary Neutron Stars.
Optical Clocks and GW detectors share a common limiting noise source, mirror coating brownian noise. By switching the interrogation light to a higher order spatial mode, this may be reduced. We will investigate losses in this technique and find that the sensitive to mismatches increases. The mode analyser technique we investigate will provide valuable insight into the beam and mismatches. This technique may become an enabling technology for charting brownian noise reduction in optical clocks and GW detectors.
The aim of this project is to investigate a novel technique which directly access the mode structure of a laser beam. We will improve the dynamic range of the technique, characterise the design tradeoff's and determine predominant noise sources across the frequency range relevant to GW detection. Such a device could be used during the commissioning of precision metrology devices to improve signal to noise of the setup, in the case of LIGO this can improve the detection rate and signal to noise ratio of high frequency sources such as Binary Neutron Stars.
Optical Clocks and GW detectors share a common limiting noise source, mirror coating brownian noise. By switching the interrogation light to a higher order spatial mode, this may be reduced. We will investigate losses in this technique and find that the sensitive to mismatches increases. The mode analyser technique we investigate will provide valuable insight into the beam and mismatches. This technique may become an enabling technology for charting brownian noise reduction in optical clocks and GW detectors.
Organisations
Publications
Abbott B
(2019)
Searches for Gravitational Waves from Known Pulsars at Two Harmonics in 2015-2017 LIGO Data
in The Astrophysical Journal
Abbott B
(2019)
Narrow-band search for gravitational waves from known pulsars using the second LIGO observing run
in Physical Review D
Abbott B
(2019)
All-sky search for short gravitational-wave bursts in the second Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo run
in Physical Review D
Abbott B
(2019)
GWTC-1: A Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog of Compact Binary Mergers Observed by LIGO and Virgo during the First and Second Observing Runs
in Physical Review X
Dovale-Álvarez M
(2017)
Fundamental limitations of cavity-assisted atom interferometry
in Physical Review A
Jones A
(2020)
High Dynamic Range Spatial Mode Decomposition
Jones A
(2022)
Metasurface-enhanced spatial mode decomposition
in Physical Review A
Jones A
(2022)
Metasurface Enhanced Spatial Mode Decomposition
Jones A
(2021)
Metasurface Enhanced Spatial Mode Decomposition
Jones AW
(2020)
High dynamic range spatial mode decomposition.
in Optics express
Studentship Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
EP/N509590/1 | 30/09/2016 | 29/09/2021 | |||
2161515 | Studentship | EP/N509590/1 | 30/09/2016 | 30/03/2020 | Aaron Jones |
Title | Gravity Synth |
Description | Developed a new type of audio synthesizer from gravitational wave technology. |
Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
Year Produced | 2016 |
Impact | This synthesizer is used in performative art pieces and used to explain science to those who are not interested in STEM. The collaborating artist and synthesizer have undergone a world tour. Notable events include TEDx and BBC Digital Planet. As of 2020, the collaboration is ongoing and ~20 performances per year occur. Music generated by the device has been released as a commercial EP. |
URL | https://chromatouch.bandcamp.com/album/gravity-synth-ep |
Description | Ultra-stable laser interferometry has become a cornerstone of precision metrology. Understanding higher-order optical modes are of particular interest to the Laser Interferometric Gravitational Wave (GW) detection community. Recent research at detectors shows that mode mismatches account for a significant amount of the squeezing loss, which reduces the range of the detector. This project investigated a novel technique which directly accesses the mode structure of a laser beam. The dynamic range of the technique was improved, design tradeoffs were characterised and predominant noise sources across the frequency range relevant to GW detection were determined. Such a device could be used during the commissioning of precision metrology devices to improve the signal to noise of the setup, in the case of LIGO this can improve the detection rate and signal to noise ratio of high-frequency sources such as Binary Neutron Stars. Optical Clocks and GW detectors share a common limiting noise source, mirror coating Brownian noise. By switching the interrogation light to a higher-order spatial mode, this may be reduced. We investigated losses in this technique and found that the sensitivity to mismatches increases. The mode analyser technique we investigated could provide valuable insight into the beam and mismatches. This technique may become an enabling technology for charting Brownian noise reduction in optical clocks and GW detectors. |
Exploitation Route | The frequency selectivity of the mode analysis technique must be investigated before use in gravitational wave detectors, however, the advances may be used directly in mode division multiplexing communications for optical fibres. |
Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) |
Title | Birmingham Enviroment for Software Testing |
Description | Software testing algorithm to track the scientific predictions of modelling software used in the optics community. Checks the predictions and stores this in a database that researchers can use verify the validity of the computer model for the version of the software that they used. |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Development of Finesse3 - an essential tool in the development of 3rd generation gravitational wave detectors. |
URL | https://best.sr.bham.ac.uk:8080/ |
Title | Birmingham Enviroment for Software Testing |
Description | Software testing algorithm to track the scientific predictions of modelling software used in the optics community. Checks the predictions and stores this in a database that researchers can use verify the validity of the computer model for the version of the software that they used. |
Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Impact | Development of Finesse3 - an essential tool in the development of 3rd generation gravitational wave detectors. |
URL | https://best.sr.bham.ac.uk:8080/ |
Title | Chirp |
Description | Web app and mobile app to collate Gravitational Wave events as they are detected by LIGO and display this in a friendly way for researchers and the general public. |
Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Impact | ~1000 unique users per day. |
URL | http://chirp.sr.bham.ac.uk/ |
Description | Astronomy In the City (Invited Talk) - Instruments Gravitational Wave Detectors and Musical Instruments Alike. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Local talk about Gravitational Waves and parallels in audio synthesis |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | BBC Digital Planet |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interview on the digital planet about the construction of Gravity Synth - a performative art piece combining gravitational wave technology and audio synthesis. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cszbwy |
Description | Gravity Fields Festival |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | 3-day science stand at art festival involving hands-on workshops with gravitational wave instrumentation and talks about science |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://gravityfields.co.uk/ |
Description | Gravity Fields Festival Workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Gravitational Waves exhibit at popular regional festival |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Maker Monday |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Audio Synthesis Using Miniature Model Gravitational Wave Detectors. A talk at an industry-artist-business partnering event. Resulted in a school reaching out to us, where we then ran a 1-day workshop on programming and ICT use in science. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Malvern Malvern Festival of Innovation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Ran planetarium exhibit featuring talks contextualising the scale of our universe in relation to modern science. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.festival-innovation.com/ |
Description | Mobile App Development - Chirp |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Developed mobile app to communicate LIGO-Virgo gravitational-wave alerts to the general public. ~1000 unique users per day. Press release URL: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2019/11/mobile-app-to-provide-the-latest-on-black-hole-collisions-and-merging-neutron-stars.aspx |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020 |
URL | http://chirp.sr.bham.ac.uk |
Description | Pint of Science |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Larger than a usual pint of science event at Millenium Point. 900 attendees. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Pint of Science Talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk about gravitational wave instrumentation and parallels in electronic music development. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Week-long exhibit at Royal Society. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | School Visit (Leicester Grammar School) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Gravitational Waves and Quantum Technology demonstration |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | School Visit (William Brookes Sixth Form) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Gravitational Waves and Quantum Technology-based school visit |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Seventh Wave Festival of Electronic Music |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Develop art exhibit centred on gravitational wave instrumentation |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | TEDX Talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | TEDX Talk on parallels in Gravitational Wave instrumentation, technology development and art |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://youtu.be/QLyPZRVQZPc |
Description | Talk at Music Festival |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Presented talk about gravitational waves and science at a popular regional music festival |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://lunarfestival.co.uk/ |
Description | Whitworth Art Gallery. Future Sessions Launch Party (Invited Talk) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk on Gravitational-wave instrumentation |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |