Abstract
Several km-scale gravitational-wave detectors have been constructed worldwide. These instruments combine a number of advanced technologies to push the limits of precision length measurement. The core devices are laser interferometers of a new kind; developed from the classical Michelson topology these interferometers integrate additional optical elements, which significantly change the properties of the optical system. Much of the design and analysis of these laser interferometers can be performed using well-known classical optical techniques; however, the complex optical layouts provide a new challenge. In this review, we give a textbook-style introduction to the optical science required for the understanding of modern gravitational wave detectors, as well as other high-precision laser interferometers. In addition, we provide a number of examples for a freely available interferometer simulation software and encourage the reader to use these examples to gain hands-on experience with the discussed optical methods.
Highlights
1.1 The scope and style of the reviewThe historical development of laser interferometers for application as gravitationalwave detectors (Pitkin et al 2011) has involved the combination of relatively simple optical subsystems into more and more complex assemblies
The latter is usually true for the steady state approach: assuming that the interferometer is in a steady state, all solutions must be independent of time so that we can perform all computations at t = 0 without loss of generality
As these modulations usually have as their origin a change in optical path length, they are often phase modulations of the laser frequency, the radio frequency (RF) sidebands are utilised for optical readout purposes, while the signal sidebands carry the signal to be measured
Summary
Living Rev Relativ (2016) 19:3 layouts provide a new challenge. We give a textbook-style introduction to the optical science required for the understanding of modern gravitational wave detectors, as well as other high-precision laser interferometers. We provide a number of examples for a freely available interferometer simulation software and encourage the reader to use these examples to gain hands-on experience with the discussed optical methods. Keywords Gravitational waves · Gravitational-wave detectors · Laser interferometry · Optics · Simulations · Finesse
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