Searching for a Stochastic Background, aLIGO Transient Monitoring and Optical Mirror Trapping

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The award supports (i) the search for a stochastic background of gravitational-waves of both primordial and astrophysical origin using the latest data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and its international collaborators. Rather than considering the entire sky at once, the search considers individual sky regions and is expected to produce the world's best limits on stochastic gravitational radiation. Additionally the award supports (ii) the development of an all-optical trap for a small mirror, a step that could lead to improved sensitivity in next generation gravitational wave detectors. Radiation pressure, together with the optical cavity dynamics, will provide the trapping force without the need for active feed-back. Primordial gravitational waves in the LIGO observation band were generated in the early universe at energy densities beyond the experimentally-tested regime of the Standard Model of particle physics and have the potential to reveal new physics. Observing these waves may be the biggest prize gravitational-wave astronomy has to offer. Looking beyond existing gravitational-wave detectors, optical trapping of a test mirror using radiation pressure will allow the manipulation of macroscopic objects at the quantum level, and can lead to an improved angular control system for the next-generation gravitational-wave interferometers. The project will also provide hands-on experience for undergraduate students and training for graduate students on actual LIGO interferometer hardware.