Enhancing gravitational wave detector sensitivity and bandwidth for astronomy

该项目旨在创建小型光学机械设备，用于放大引力波探测器中的信号，提高其灵敏度，特别是对高频信号。根据2015年首次探测到的黑洞合并引力波进行校准，这项技术可以让人类每天收听黑洞合并多达30次，同时对来自较小黑洞和中子星的信号具有更高的灵敏度。这项新技术使用由激光控制的纳米级悬浮微镜，很可能应用于制造传感器和先进仪器的量子器件，改善矿物勘探和测量微小的电磁信号。

This project aims to create small optomechanical devices that amplify the signals in gravitational wave detectors, increasing their sensitivity, especially for higher frequency signals. Calibrated against the 2015 first detection of gravitational waves from black hole mergers, this technology could allow humanity to listen to black holes merging up to 30 times every day, while giving much greater sensitivity to signals from smaller black holes and neutron stars. The new technology, which uses nano-scale suspended tiny mirrors controlled by laser light, is likely to have applications in making sensors and quantum devices for advanced instrumentation, improve mineral exploration and measure tiny electromagnetic signals.