Reduction of Thermal Fluctuations in a Cryogenic Laser Interferometric Gravitational Wave Detector

Takashi Uchiyama, Shinji Miyoki, Souichi Telada, Kazuhiro Yamamoto, Masatake Ohashi, Kazuhiro Agatsuma, Koji Arai, Masa-Katsu Fujimoto, Tomiyoshi Haruyama, Seiji Kawamura, Osamu Miyakawa, Naoko Ohishi, Takanori Saito, Takakazu Shintomi, Toshikazu Suzuki, Ryutaro Takahashi, and Daisuke Tatsumi

Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 141101 – Published 3 April 2012

Abstract

The thermal fluctuation of mirror surfaces is the fundamental limitation for interferometric gravitational wave (GW) detectors. Here, we experimentally demonstrate for the first time a reduction in a mirror’s thermal fluctuation in a GW detector with sapphire mirrors from the Cryogenic Laser Interferometer Observatory at 17 and 18 K. The detector sensitivity, which was limited by the mirror’s thermal fluctuation at room temperature, was improved in the frequency range of 90 to 240 Hz by cooling the mirrors. The improved sensitivity reached a maximum of $2.2 \times 10^{- 19} m / \sqrt{Hz}$ at 165 Hz.

Received 1 December 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.141101

Authors & Affiliations

Takashi Uchiyama^1,*, Shinji Miyoki², Souichi Telada³, Kazuhiro Yamamoto^4,†, Masatake Ohashi², Kazuhiro Agatsuma^2,‡, Koji Arai^5,§, Masa-Katsu Fujimoto⁵, Tomiyoshi Haruyama⁶, Seiji Kawamura^5,†, Osamu Miyakawa¹, Naoko Ohishi^1,‡, Takanori Saito², Takakazu Shintomi⁷, Toshikazu Suzuki⁶, Ryutaro Takahashi^5,†, and Daisuke Tatsumi⁵

¹Kamioka Observatory, Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, The University of Tokyo, 456 Higashi-Mozumi, Kamioka, Hida Gifu 506-1205, Japan
²Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582, Japan
³National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan
⁴Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut) and Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, D-30167 Hannover, Germany
⁵National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
⁶High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, KEK, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan
⁷Advanced Research Institute for the Sciences and Humanities, Nihon University, 12-5 Goban-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8251, Japan

^*uchiyama@icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp
^†Present address: Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, the University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582, Japan.
^‡Present address: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan.
^§Present address: LIGO project, California Institute of Technology 100-36, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Issue

Vol. 108, Iss. 14 — 6 April 2012

Reuse & Permissions

Access Options

Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Physical Review Letters