Status of the AEI 10 m prototype

Abstract

The AEI 10 m prototype will be an ultra-low displacement noise facility consisting of an L-shaped ultra-high vacuum system with about 10 m long arms, excellent seismic isolation, a well-stabilized high power laser and other advanced interferometry techniques. In the first round of experiments an interferometer to measure at the standard quantum limit of classical interferometry will be set up. This paper describes the status of the AEI 10 m prototype and its individual sub-systems as of April 2012.

Squeezing of optomechanical modes in detuned Fabry–Perot interferometer

“…Comparison of impact exerted by quantum and thermal noises upon quadratures (see Appendix B) reveals that both fluctuations have their affects of same order. This gives us an ability to talk about quantum noise squeezing of optomechanic quadratures in gravitational wave detectors (Advanced LIGO [2], Einstein Telescope [37]) and in prototypes (Glasgow University prototype [31], AEI Hannover prototype [32] and Gingin facility [33])…”

“…The stabilization could be performed by means of an auxiliary pump with power significantly lower than one in main pump. However implementation of feedback is more feasible in small-scale experimental setups like gravitational-wave antenna prototypes [31][32][33].…”

“…Estimations for some experimental prototypes show that thermal noises are dominant in these devices. In particular for Glasgow University prototype [31] ξ GP = 2.7, for AEI Hannover prototype [32] ξ AEI = 1.7 and for Gingin facility [33] ξ Gingin = 3.8. The parameters used for these estimations are listed in table II.…”

A study on motion reduction for suspended platforms used in gravitational wave detectors

“…Instead, concept tests are done on bench-scale experiments and feasibility studies are performed on large scale in prototype systems for gravitational wave detectors. The AEI 10 m-Prototype is designed to serve as such a test bed for future gravitational wave detectors 29 , 30 . The necessary infrastructure is being set up, and one of the first experiments will be a Fabry-Perot Michelson interferometer limited by quantum noise in the form of shot-noise and back-action noise from radiation pressure.…”

Seismic attenuation system for the AEI 10 meter Prototype

“…A prototype interferometer facility [1] is being set up at the Albert Einstein institute (AEI) in Hannover, Germany; a facility used for the purpose of development and testing of new techniques for the gravitational wave detector GEO 600 [2] and proposed third generation ground-based interferometric gravitational wave detectors, for example, the Einstein Telescope [3]. Further experiments, such as exploring quantum mechanical effects in macroscopic objects [4] and operating an interferometer below the standard quantum limit [5] are also being developed.…”