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Published September 2000 | Published
Journal Article Open

Principles of calculating the dynamical response of misaligned complex resonant optical interferometers

Abstract

In the long-baseline laser interferometers for measuring gravitational waves that are now under construction, understanding the dynamical response to small distortions such as angular alignment fluctuations presents a unique challenge. These interferometers comprise multiple coupled optical resonators with light storage times approaching 100 m. We present a basic formalism to calculate the frequency dependence of periodic variations in angular alignment and longitudinal displacement of the resonator mirrors. The electromagnetic field is decomposed into a superposition of higher-order spatial modes, Fourier frequency components, and polarization states. Alignment fluctuations and length variations of free-space propagation are represented by matrix operators that act on the multicomponent state vectors of the field.

Additional Information

© 2000 Optical Society of America. Received October 20, 1999; revised manuscript received May 10, 2000; accepted May 12, 2000. We thank our colleagues on the LIGO project, who helped us with many useful suggestions and comments. In particular, we thank P. Fritschel for many clarifying discussions. This work is supported by National Science Foundation cooperative agreement PHY-9210038.

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August 19, 2023
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