Overview of Advanced LIGO adaptive optics
Abstract
This is an overview of the adaptive optics used in Advanced LIGO(aLIGO), known as the thermal compensation system (TCS). The thermalcompensation system was designed to minimize thermally-induced spatialdistortions in the interferometer optical modes and to provide some correctionfor static curvature errors in the core optics of aLIGO. The TCS iscomprised of ring heater actuators, spatially tunable CO2 laser projectorsand Hartmann wavefront sensors. The system meets the requirements ofcorrecting for nominal distortion in Advanced LIGO to a maximum residualerror of 5.4nm, weighted across the laser beam, for up to 125W oflaser input power into the interferometer. |