Special CPM Seminar

Squeezed light for current and future gravitational wave detectors

Georgia Mansell

Australian National University

Advanced LIGO (laser interferometer gravitational wave observatory) is the most sensitive displacement metrology experiment in the world, consisting of two Michelson interferometers with 4 km optical cavity arms. Last year the LIGO scientific collaboration announced the first observation of gravitational waves, from a binary black hole merger.

Current and proposed future gravitational wave detectors are broadly limited by quantum noise. The injection of squeezed states of light will further enhance the detectors? astrophysical reach by improving sensitivity beyond shot noise and, in the future, radiation pressure noise.

In this talk I will summarise the research efforts towards a squeezed light source for advanced LIGO. I will also present new results from our recent research on squeezed light sources in the 2000 nm wavelength region, for potential future gravitational wave detectors.