TURCONI , Margherita

Excitability and localized structures are universal phenomena, observed in various systems. Both possess interesting properties for potential applications, especially in optics. Excitability is the intrinsic property of the neuron defining its response to an external stimulus: for a sub-threshold stimulus the neuron stays quiescent; for a...

In this paper we propose a novel strategy to control optomechanical parametric instability (PI) in gravitational wave (GW) detectors, based on radiation pressure. The fast deflection of a high power beam is the key element of our approach. We built a 2D deflection system based on a pair of acousto-optic modulators (AOMs) that combines high...

A key action for enhancing the sensitivity of gravitational wave (GW) detectors based on laser interferometry is to increase the laser power. However, in such a high-power regime, a nonlinear optomechanical phenomenon called parametric instability (PI) leads to the amplification of the mirrors vibrational modes preventing the detector...

International audience

As part of the research on thermal noise reduction in gravitational-wave detectors, we experimentally demonstrate the conversion of a fundamental TEM00 laser mode at 1064 nm to higher-order Hermite-Gaussian modes (HG) of arbitrary order via a commercially available liquid crystal spatial light modulator. We particularly studied the...

International audience

Second generation of laser interferometer gravitational wave detectors can now detect the fusion of compact stellar object pair weekly. To increase the sensitivity, an important change of design between first and second generation gravitational wave detectors is the use of homodyne detection instead of heterodyne. This modification has strongly...

International audience