This article is cited in 4 papers

100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF V L GINZBURG. REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS

Quantum measurements in gravitational-wave detectors

F. Ya. Khalili

Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Physics

Abstract: The sensitivity of contemporary gravitational-wave detectors is so high that to a large extent it is limited by quantum fluctuations of light in them. Methods to suppress or evade these fluctuations are actively being developed, and the simplest of them, the injection of squeezed light, has already found application in the GEO600 detector. The aim of this review is first to acquaint the reader with the quantum mechanical limitations on the sensitivity of optomechanical devices in general and laser gravitational-wave detectors in particular and, second, to outline the methods for overcoming these limitations that are considered the most promising for implementation in current and planned detectors.

Keywords: gravitational-wave detectors, quantum noise, squeezed light, standard quantum limit, quantum nondemolition measurements, filter cavities, quantum speed meter, optical rigidity.

PACS: 03.65.Ta, 04.80.Nn, 42.50.-p

Received: June 8, 2016
Accepted: July 6, 2016

DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.2016.07.037866

 English version: Physics–Uspekhi, 2016, 59:10, 968–996

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