LIGO Document T2600151-v6
- The FROnt Surface Type Irradiator (FROSTI) is a new wavefront actuator for LIGO that will enable higher laser power and reduce quantum noise. FROSTI uses an infrared heating pattern projected by a blackbody source onto the highly-reflective surfaces of the LIGO test-masses. FROSTI is named for its ability to return the optic to its cold optical state. Thermal radiation is used as it is the only source with sufficient intensity stability which meets LIGO s strict requirements. An upper limit has been set on the displacment noise caused by intensity fluctuations in FROSTI, but even higher sensitivity measurements are necessary. This project will develop an optical testbed to measure photon bunching described by the Hanbury-Brown-Twiss effect. The result of this measurement would be a demonstration that FROSTI can operate at its theoretical noise minimum.
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