Antonio Perreca

One of the highest scientific moments of the last century was touched when the LIGO interferometer detected the first gravitational wave signal on September 14th, 2015. The LIGO-Virgo collaboration announced this astonishing result in the following February 2016, opening a new way to look at the universe. Since the first detection, more than 90 events have been detected, including signals originated from binary black holes, binary neutron stars and Neutron Star-Black Hole mergers. 

The LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA Scientific Collaboration is implementing new techniques to increase the sensitivity of the current and the next generation of gravitational wave detectors. The higher is the sensitivity and the further can be the origin of the detected signals, leading to a higher rate of detection and to a deeper knowledge of the universe. The limitations of the new upgrades are due to the optical losses, namely losses due to mode-matching between optical cavities. Conventional beam-profiling techniques measure mode-matching with limited precision. To scale down the limitations due to the optical losses sensing systems and adaptive optics are required. The first are used to measure the losses and the second to reduce the losses correcting the laser beam parameters. Moreover, the techniques will also be explored in the future Einstein Telescope (ET) experiment. The Virgo-ET Gravitational wave group at the University of Trento will develop new techniques to sense and  correct mode matching in optical cavities.

The candidate will be part of the LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA and ET collaborations. He will be responsible for developing a system able to correct optical losses due to the mode matching in optical cavities. He will learn to design and realize a table-top experiment, dealing with optics, electronics and software for optical simulations. The system will be implemented in the Advanced Virgo detector. The candidate will also be involved actively in the commissioning activities on the Virgo detector and in the simulation activities for Einstein Telescope.

For more info on the project please, contact Prof. Antonio Perreca (antonio.perreca@unitn.it)

More info on the Advanced Virgo detector: http://public.virgo-gw.eu/
More info on the Einstein Telescope project: http://www.et-gw.eu/

One of the highest scientific moments of the last century was touched when the LIGO interferometer detected the first gravitational wave signal on September 14th, 2015. The LIGO-Virgo collaboration announced this astonishing result in the following February 2016, opening a new way to look at the universe. Since the first detection, more than 90 events have been detected, including signals originated from binary black holes, binary neutron stars and Neutron Star-Black Hole mergers. 

The LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA Scientific Collaboration is implementing new techniques to increase the sensitivity of the current and the next generation of gravitational wave detectors. The higher is the sensitivity and the further can be the origin of the detected signals, leading to a higher rate of detection and to a deeper knowledge of the universe. The limitations of the new upgrades are due to the optical losses, namely losses due to mode-matching between optical cavities. Conventional beam-profiling techniques measure mode-matching with limited precision. To scale down the limitations due to the optical losses sensing systems and adaptive optics are required. The first are used to measure the losses and the second to reduce the losses correcting the laser beam parameters. Moreover, the techniques will also be explored in the future Einstein Telescope (ET) experiment. The Virgo-ET Gravitational wave group at the University of Trento will develop new techniques to sense and  correct mode matching in optical cavities.

The candidate will be part of the LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA and ET collaborations. He will be responsible for developing a system able to sense the optical mode matching in an optical cavity with the use of a Mode Converter Telescope. He will learn to design and realize a table-top experiment, dealing with optics, electronics, control systems and software for optical simulations. The system will be implemented in the Advanced Virgo detector. The candidate will also be involved actively in the commissioning activities on the Virgo  detector site and in the simulation activities for Einstein Telescope.

For more info on the project please, contact Prof. Antonio Perreca (antonio.perreca@unitn.it).

More info on the Advanced Virgo detector: http://public.virgo-gw.eu/
More info on the Einstein Telescope project: http://www.et-gw.eu/