Speaker
Description
The Glasgow Cryogenic Interferometer Facility aims to advance cryogenic gravitational-wave detection technologies, informing the development of future observatories such as the Einstein Telescope. The research programme includes the demonstration of fully crystalline cryogenic suspension system, which entails the characterisation of crystalline silicon and sapphire suspension elements, alongside optical studies of silicon test masses. Suspension materials must exhibit low mechanical loss, high thermal conductivity, sufficient tensile strength, and suitable optical properties to avoid limiting thermal noise performance.
In collaboration with researchers from KAGRA, low-Q measurements of sapphire suspensions are being investigated through finite element analysis, including modelling of laser-welded and polished sapphire fibres. We report recent progress in sapphire fibre fabrication and jointing techniques, together with updated experimental characterisation results. These developments contribute to the development of realistic thermal noise models for both sapphire and silicon suspensions.