Title :
Picometer and nanoradian interferometry for the LISA gravitational reference sensor and its application to technology verification
Author :
Schuldt, T. ; Gohlke, M. ; Weise, D. ; Johann, U. ; Peters, A. ; Braxmaier, C.
Author_Institution :
HTWG Konstanz, Univ. of Appl. Sci., Konstanz, Germany
Abstract :
The spaceborne gravitational wave detector LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) utilizes free floating proof masses as inertial references for its 5 million km long interferometer arms. In the current baseline design their position and tilt with respect to the appropriate optical bench is measured by an optical readout which needs picometer sensitivity in translation measurement and nanoradian sensitivity in tilt measurement. For this purpose EADS-Astrium GmbH - in cooperation with HTWG Konstanz and the Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin - developed a highly symmetric heterodyne interferometer with differential wavefront sensing for the tilt measurement.
Keywords :
gravitational wave detectors; light interferometers; optical sensors; EADS-Astrium GmbH; HTWG Konstanz; Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin; LISA gravitational reference sensor; differential wavefront sensing; free floating proof masses; highly symmetric heterodyne interferometer; laser interferometer space antenna; nanoradian interferometry; nanoradian sensitivity; optical bench; optical readout; picometer interferometry; spaceborne gravitational wave detector; technology verification; tilt measurement; translation measurement; Current measurement; Frequency measurement; Noise measurement; Optical devices; Optical fiber polarization; Optical interferometry; Optical mixing; Optical sensors; Position measurement; Space technology;
Conference_Titel :
Lasers and Electro-Optics 2009 and the European Quantum Electronics Conference. CLEO Europe - EQEC 2009. European Conference on
Conference_Location :
Munich
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-4079-5
Electronic_ISBN :
978-1-4244-4080-1
DOI :
10.1109/CLEOE-EQEC.2009.5196301
