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Published 2006 | public
Journal Article Open

Design and construction of a prototype of a flat top beam interferometer and initial tests

Abstract

A non-Gaussian, flat-top laser beam profile, also called Mesa Beam Profile, supported by non spherical mirrors known as Mexican Hat (MH) mirrors, has been proposed as a way to depress the mirror thermal noise and thus improve the sensitivity of future interferometric Gravitational Wave detectors, including Advanced LIGO [1]. Non-Gaussian beam configurations have never been tested before [2] hence the main motivation of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility of this new concept. A 7m rigid suspended Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity which can support a scaled version of a Mesa beam applicable to the LIGO interferometers has been developed. The FP cavity prototype is being designed to prove the feasibility of actual MH mirror profiles, determine whether a MH mirror cavity is capable of transforming an incoming Gaussian beam into a flat top beam profile, study the effects of unavoidable mirror imperfections on the resulting beam profile and gauge the difficulties associated with locking and maintaining the alignment of such an optical cavity. We present the design of the experimental apparatus and simulations comparing Gaussian and Mesa beams performed both with ideal and current (measured) mirror profiles. An overview of the technique used to manufacture this kind of mirror and initial results showing Mesa beam properties are presented.

Additional Information

© IOP Publishing Limited 2006. Proceedings of the Sixth Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, 20–24 June 2005, Bankoku Shinryoukan, Okinawa, Japan This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. PHY-0107417. This paper has been assigned the LIGO DCC number P050024-00-D. We would like also to thanks J.Miller, summer student at Caltech, for his precious contributions to this project.

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August 22, 2023
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October 13, 2023