International. Researchers at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) create a thin-film technology to improve the sensitivity of current and future gravitational wave detectors.
Developed by academics at UWS's Thin Film, Sensor and Imaging Institute (ITFSI), the innovation could improve understanding of the nature of the universe.
Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time caused by the most energetic events in the cosmos, such as black hole mergers and neutron star collisions. Detecting and studying these waves provides invaluable information about the fundamental nature of the universe.
Dr. Carlos García Núñez, a professor in the UWS College of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences, said: "At the Institute for Thin Films, Sensors and Imaging, we are working hard to push the boundaries of thin-film materials, exploring new techniques to deposit them, controlling their properties to match the requirements of current and future sensing technology for gravitational wave detection."
"The development of high-reflection mirrors with low thermal noise opens up a wide range of applications, ranging from the detection of gravitational waves from cosmological events to the development of quantum computers," said Dr. Núñez.
The technique used in this work, originally developed and patented by Professor Des Gibson, director of UWS's Institute for Thin Films, Sensors and Imaging, could enable the production of thin films that achieve low levels of "thermal noise".
Reducing this type of noise in mirror coatings is critical to increasing the sensitivity of current gravitational wave detectors, enabling the detection of a wider range of cosmological events, and could be implemented to improve other high-precision devices, such as atomic clocks or quantum computers.
Professor Gibson said: "We are delighted to introduce this cutting-edge thin-film technology for gravitational wave detection. This represents an important step forward in our ability to explore the universe and uncover its secrets through the study of gravitational waves. We believe this breakthrough will accelerate scientific progress in this field and open new avenues for discovery."
"UWS's thin-film technology has already undergone extensive testing and validation in collaboration with renowned scientists and research institutions. The results have been received with great enthusiasm, fueling anticipation for their future impact on the field of gravitational-wave astronomy. The coating deposition technology is being commercialised by UWS spin-off company Albasense," Professor Gibson added.
The development of coatings with low thermal noise will not only make the future generation of gravitational wave detectors more accurate and sensitive to cosmic events, but will also provide new solutions for atomic clocks and quantum mechanics, both of great relevance to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 7, 9 and 11.
