Dual recycling laser interferometer gravitational wave detectors: simulating the performance with imperfect mirrors

Abstract

Single bounce, dual recycling, laser interferometers are shown to be robust to curvature mismatch between, and tilt of, the interferometer mirrors. The implication is that dual recycling interferometers will be robust to distortions which scatter light into higher order spatial modes. We therefore consider whether it is possible to implement dual recycling on planned long baseline Fabry-Perot arm cavity type Michelson interferometers, without significantly reducing the operational bandwidth of such instruments.