Q-measurement system
Published: 25 January 2022
A Q-measurement system was designed and built in the University of Strathclyde, with support from the University of Glasgow, under the guidance of Prof. Reid.
Q-measurement system
A Q-measurement system was set up at the University of Strathclyde with the help of exchange students, Chetan and Jamney, supported by Strathclyde staff, Prof. Stuart Reid and Dr. Paul Hill, and University of Glasgow staff member, Dr Simon Tait. The students learned how to measure the Quality (“Q”) factor of coated glass resonator samples, and developed the techniques to calculate the internal friction in the individual coating layers applied to the samples.
The system was shipped to TIFR Hyderabad and commissioned in their laboratories. A second (nominally identical) Q-measurement tank already exists in the University of Strathclyde, and continues to provide training of students, in addition to supporting cross-checking of results.
The measurement of the internal dissipation in the thin film optical coatings is essential for the development of future gravitational wave detectors, as it allows an important source of noise to be estimated – thermally driven displacements of the front surface of the mirrors, known as Brownian noise.
First published: 25 January 2022
