Precision Interferometry in a New Shape

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxii

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2. Introduction

   • Paul Fulda

   Pages 1-15

3. Laguerre-Gauss Beams for Test Mass Thermal Noise Reduction

   • Paul Fulda

   Pages 17-39

4. Simulation Study into \(\mathrm{LG}_{33}\) Mode Interferometry and Production

   • Paul Fulda

   Pages 41-66

5. Tabletop Demonstrations of LG Mode Production and Cleaning

   • Paul Fulda

   Pages 67-97

6. Prototype Experiments with the \({\text {LG}}_{33}\) Mode

   • Paul Fulda

   Pages 99-113

7. Summary and Conclusions

   • Paul Fulda

   Pages 115-117

8. Back Matter

   Pages 119-154

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With his Ph.D. thesis, presented here in the format of a "Springer Theses", Paul Fulda won the 2012 GWIC thesis prize awarded by the Gravitational Wave International Committee. The impact of thermal noise on future gravitational wave detectors depends on the size and shape of the interrogating laser beam. It had been known since 2006 that, in theory, higher-order Laguerre-Gauss modes could reduce thermal noise. Paul Fulda’s research brings Laguerre-Gauss modes an enormous step forward. His work includes analytical, numerical and experimental work on table-top setups as well as experiments at the Glasgow 10m prototype interferometer. Using numerical simulations the LG33 mode was selected as the optical mode to be tested. Further research by Paul and his colleagues since then concentrated on this mode. Paul has developed and demonstrated simple and effective methods to create this mode with diffractive optics and successfully demonstrated its compatibility with the essential building blocks of gravitational wave detectors, namely, optical cavities, Michelson interferometers and opto-electronic sensing and control systems. Through this work, Laguerre-Gauss modes for interferometers have been transformed from an essentially unknown entity to a well understood option with an experimental basis.

• 2012 GWIC Thesis Prize
• Gravitational Wave Detectors
• LG33 Mode Interferometry
• Laguerre-Gauss Modes
• Low Noise Laser Interferometers

• University of Florida, Florida, USA

  Paul Fulda

Dr. Paul Fulda received his PhD in 2012 at the University of Birmingham. He is the winner of the 2012 GWIC Thesis Prize awarded by the Gravitational Wave International Committee.

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