Mapping and Correcting the Wavefront of GQuEST End Mirrors
ORAL
Abstract
GQuEST, or Gravity from the Quantum Entanglement of Space-Time, is an experiment with the goal of measuring fluctuations in space time using an ultra-sensitive tabletop Michelson Interferometer. This experiment requires high precision optics, including extremely thin high-reflectivity mirrors. This makes the optics extremely sensitive to small changes in their radius of curvature which can cause a misalignment in the modes of the light in the system. This can, in part, be mitigated by imaging the mirrors and matching the modes and by applying pressure to the mirror in a custom mount. The goal of this project is to develop a process for imaging and correcting the curvature of the mirror and analyzing how well the modes of different mirrors match.
*This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF REU) program, the LIGO Laboratory Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program (NSF LIGO), and the California Institute of Technology Student-Faculty Programs.
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Presenters
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Erin Frances McGee
- Stevens Institute of Technology