A Solid-State Phase Camera for Advanced Gravitational Wave Detectors

<p>I present a novel way of wavefront sensing using a commercially available, continuouswavetime-of- ight camera with QVGA-resolution. This CMOS phase camera is capable of sensing externally modulated light sources with frequencies up to 100 MHz. The high-spatial-resolution of the sensor, combined with our integrated control electronics, allows the camera to image power modulation index as low as -62 dBc/second/pixel. The phase camera is applicable to problems where alignment and mode-mismatch sensing is needed and suited for diagnostic and control applications in gravitationalwave detectors. Specically, I explore the use of the phase camera in sensing the beat signals due to thermal distortions from point-like heat absorbers on the test masses in the Advanced LIGO detectors. The camera is capable of sensing optical path distortions greater than about two nanometers in the Advanced LIGO input mirrors, limited by the phase resolution. In homodyne readout, the performance can reach up to 0.1 nm, limited by the modulation amplitude sensitivity.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Year

2021

Author dc:creator

• Muniz, Erik

Contributors dc:contributor

• Ballmer, Stefan

• camera
• cmos
• gravitational-wave
• LIGO
• phase
• solid-state
• Physical Sciences and Mathematics
• Physics

Repository record dc:identifier

https://surface.syr.edu/etd/1405

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:surface.syr.edu:etd-2406