Adaptive optics approach for prefiltering of geometrical fluctuations of the input laser beam of an interferometric gravitational waves detector

Abstract

In this article we present a preliminary study and experimental results on the use of an adaptive optics (AO) system for the reduction of geometrical fluctuations in a laser beam. The AO system is based on a Shack–Hartmann wave front sensor and a micromachined deformable mirror as a corrective element. The aim of this work is to investigate the applicability of such technologies to improving wave front clean-up conditions in long baseline interferometric gravitational wave detection.