Hannover 2013 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 51: Precision measurements and metrology IV

Q 51.1: Gruppenbericht

Donnerstag, 21. März 2013, 14:00–14:30, F 128

A prototype optical bench for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna — Michael Tröbs, •Maike Lieser, and the LISA Optical Bench Team — Albert Einstein Institute, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), aims to detect gravitational-waves at mHz frequencies. It consists of three spacecraft forming an equilateral triangle in an Earth-like orbit around the sun. Drag-free test masses define the arms of a Michelson interferometer that is implemented by mutual laser links between the satellites in a transponder configuration. Each LISA satellite carries optical benches, one for each test mass, that measure the distance to the local test mass and to the remote optical bench on the distant satellite. In addition, the optical bench includes an acquisition sensor and mechanisms for laser redundancy switching.

Currently, an elegant bread board of the optical bench is developed and will be characterized. This requires to complete externally the two interferometers mentioned above by simulators -- a test mass simulator and a telescope simulator. We will give an overview of the test infrastructure including the simulators, the interferometer readout, the laser systems and the data acquisition.