November 2, 2024

Unlocking the Universe: Kerr-Enhanced Optical Springs for Next-Gen Gravitational Wave Detectors

Credit: Tokyo TechEnhancing GWD Sensitivity With Optical SpringsOne way to improve the sensitivity of GWDs is signal amplification using an optical spring. The tightness of optical springs, such as in GWDs, is figured out by the light power within the optical cavity. Thus, improving the resonant frequency of optical springs requires increasing the intracavity light power which, however, can result in thermally harmful results and avoid the detector from working properly.To address this concern, a team of researchers from Japan, led by Associate Professor Kentaro Somiya and Dr. Sotatsu Otabe from the Department of Physics at Tokyo Tech, established a revolutionary service: the Kerr-enhanced optical spring.

Credit: Tokyo TechEnhancing GWD Sensitivity With Optical SpringsOne method to enhance the sensitivity of GWDs is signal amplification using an optical spring. The stiffness of optical springs, such as in GWDs, is determined by the light power within the optical cavity. Therefore, enhancing the resonant frequency of optical springs requires increasing the intracavity light power which, nevertheless, can result in thermally hazardous effects and avoid the detector from working properly.To address this problem, a group of scientists from Japan, led by Associate Professor Kentaro Somiya and Dr. Sotatsu Otabe from the Department of Physics at Tokyo Tech, established a revolutionary option: the Kerr-enhanced optical spring.