Harry Gregory M, Armandula Helena, Black Eric, Crooks D R M, Cagnoli Gianpietro, Hough Jim, Murray Peter, Reid Stuart, Rowan Sheila, Sneddon Peter, Fejer Martin M, Route Roger, Penn Steven D
Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, NW17-161, Cambridge, Massachusetts 01239, USA.
Appl Opt. 2006 Mar 1;45(7):1569-74. doi: 10.1364/ao.45.001569.
Gravitational waves are a prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity. These waves are created by massive objects, like neutron stars or black holes, oscillating at speeds appreciable to the speed of light. The detectable effect on the Earth of these waves is extremely small, however, creating strains of the order of 10(-21). There are a number of basic physics experiments around the world designed to detect these waves by using interferometers with very long arms, up to 4 km in length. The next-generation interferometers are currently being designed, and the thermal noise in the mirrors will set the sensitivity over much of the usable bandwidth. Thermal noise arising from mechanical loss in the optical coatings put on the mirrors will be a significant source of noise. Achieving higher sensitivity through lower mechanical loss coatings, while preserving the crucial optical and thermal properties, is an area of active research right now.
引力波是爱因斯坦广义相对论的一个预言。这些波由诸如中子星或黑洞等大质量物体以接近光速的速度振荡产生。然而，这些波对地球的可探测效应极其微小，产生的应变约为10的 -21次方量级。世界各地有许多基础物理实验旨在通过使用臂长长达4千米的干涉仪来探测这些波。目前正在设计下一代干涉仪，而镜子中的热噪声将在大部分可用带宽上决定其灵敏度。镜子上光学涂层的机械损耗产生的热噪声将是一个重要的噪声源。在保持关键光学和热学性质的同时，通过降低机械损耗涂层来实现更高灵敏度是当前一个活跃的研究领域。
