arXiv subjects

Joris van Heijningen

Publications and source records attributed to Joris van Heijningen.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Rasnik 3-point alignment system: algorithm, control framework, and its applications

Rasnik is a three-point optical displacement sensor originally developed for particle detector alignment in high-energy physics experiments, including the muon chambers of L3 at LEP and ATLAS at the LHC. The system has evolved from four-quadrant photodiodes to CMOS pixel sensors with custom ChessField coded masks, enabling absolute position measurement with no cumulative drift due to absolute value coded. Key advantages include electromagnetic immunity through purely optical measurement principles, working distances from 50 mm to 15 m, and multi-degree-of-freedom sensitivity perpendicular to the optical axis. RasCal, a comprehensive control and analysis software, is presented in this paper and its real-time image processing shows 5 pm/$\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$ spatial resolution. With GPU acceleration, 274.5 Hz is achieved during live camera acquisition and 109 Hz on CPU. In maximum-throughput configurations, the processing rates exceed 300 Hz on simple consumer hardware. System performance is demonstrated across diverse applications: 5 pm/$\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$ displacement sensitivity is achieved in the VATIGrav setup, dynamic behavior is characterized with a Watt's linkage. In addition, the lack of cumulative drift due to absolute coding with minimal thermal sensitivity under controlled conditions is used for vibration and thermal characterization of photodiode mounts for the LISA space mission. Millisecond-level command latency and thread-safe multi-camera support are provided by the RasCal software, establishing it as a robust and cost-effective precision measurement solution for demanding alignment applications in gravitational-wave detectors and space instrumentation.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Resonant enhanced detection of the higher-order modes of a locked cavity

Current gravitational-wave (GW) detectors are limited in the amount of circulating power they can reach. Optical absorption in the test masses leads to thermal effects that shift the eigenmodes of the optical cavities, and cause control issues such as parametric instabilities. Here we experimentally validate a novel technique using optical injection to measure the mode amplitudes within an optical resonator. We use a phase camera, similar to the ones installed at gravitational-wave detectors, in transmission of the cavity, to confirm the mode basis and image modes up to order 10. We showcase as well the capability of the phase camera to determine the optical phase between the carrier fundamental mode and other co-resonating higher-order modes, which can be used for optical suppression of parametric instabilities and automatic mode matching. These results highlight the relevance of implementing a similar scheme in current GW detectors to monitor thermal effects.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

The Lunar Gravitational-wave Antenna: Mission Studies and Science Case

The Lunar Gravitational-wave Antenna (LGWA) is a proposed array of next-generation inertial sensors to monitor the response of the Moon to gravitational waves (GWs). Given the size of the Moon and the expected noise produced by the lunar seismic background, the LGWA would be able to observe GWs from about 1 mHz to 1 Hz. This would make the LGWA the missing link between space-borne detectors like LISA with peak sensitivities around a few millihertz and proposed future terrestrial detectors like Einstein Telescope or Cosmic Explorer. In this article, we provide a first comprehensive analysis of the LGWA science case including its multi-messenger aspects and lunar science with LGWA data. We also describe the scientific analyses of the Moon required to plan the LGWA mission.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Transverse Mode Control in Quantum Enhanced Interferometers: A Review and Recommendations for a New Generation

Adaptive optics has made significant advancement over the past decade, becoming the essential technology in a wide variety of applications, particularly in the realm of quantum optics. One key area of impact is gravitational-wave detection, where quantum correlations are distributed over kilometer-long distances by beams with hundreds of kilowatts of optical power. Decades of development were required to develop robust and stable techniques to sense mismatches between the Gaussian beams and the resonators, all while maintaining the quantum correlations. Here we summarize the crucial advancements in transverse mode control required for gravitational-wave detection. As we look towards the advanced designs of future detectors, we highlight key challenges and offer recommendations for the design of these instruments. We conclude the review with a discussion of the broader application of adaptive optics in quantum technologies: communication, computation, imaging and sensing.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Single and coupled cavity mode sensing schemes using a diagnostic field

Precise optical mode matching is of critical importance in experiments using squeezed-vacuum states. Automatic spatial-mode matching schemes have the potential to reduce losses and improve loss stability. However, in quantum-enhanced coupled-cavity experiments, such as gravitational-wave detectors, one must also ensure that the sub-cavities are also mode matched. We propose a new mode sensing scheme, which works for simple and coupled cavities. The scheme requires no moving parts, nor tuning of Gouy phases. Instead a diagnostic field tuned to the HG20/LG10 mode frequency is used. The error signals are derived to be proportional to the difference in waist position, and difference in Rayleigh ranges, between the sub-cavity eigenmodes. The two error signals are separable by 90 degrees of demodulation phase. We demonstrate reasonable error signals for a simplified Einstein Telescope optical design. This work will facilitate routine use of extremely high levels of squeezing in current and future gravitational-wave detectors.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

The alignment of the C3 Accelerator Structures with the Rasnik alignment system

The Rasnik 3-point alignment system, now widely applied in particle physics experiments and in the instrumentation of gravitational wave experiments, can be used as N-point alignment system by daisy chain N individual 3-point systems. The conceptual implementation of Rasnik chains in C3 is presented. The proper operation of a laser diode and a CMOS image sensor in liquid nitrogen has been verified. Next plans for testing a small but complete system, immersed in liquid nitrogen, are presented.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2023

The payload of the Lunar Gravitational-wave Antenna

The toolbox to study the Universe grew on 14 September 2015 when the LIGO-Virgo collaboration heard a signal from two colliding black holes between 30-250 Hz. Since then, many more gravitational waves have been detected as detectors increased sensitivity. However, the current detector design sensitivity curves still have a lower cut-off of 10 Hz. To detect even lower-frequency gravitational-wave signals, the Lunar Gravitational-wave Antenna will use an array of seismic stations in a permanently shadowed crater. It aims to detect the differential between the elastic response of the Moon and the suspended inertial sensor proof mass motion induced by gravitational waves. A cryogenic superconducting inertial sensor is under development that aims for fm/rtHz sensitivity or better down to 1 Hz and is planned to be deployed in seismic stations. Here, we describe the current state of research towards the inertial sensor, its applications and additional auxiliary technologies in the payload of the lunar gravitational-wave detection mission.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

The ultimate performance of the Rasnik 3-point alignment system

The Rasnik system is a 3-point optical displacement monitor with sub-nanometer precision. The CCD-Rasnik alignment system was developed in 1993 for the monitoring of the alignment of the muon chambers of the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer at CERN. Since then, the development has continued as new CMOS imaging pixel chips became available. The system's processes and parameters that limit the precision have been studied in detail. We conclude that only the quantum fluctuations to which the light level content of sensor pixels are subject to, is limiting the spatial resolution. The results of two Rasnik systems are compared to results from simulations, which are in good agreement: the best reached precision of $\SI{7}{pm/\sqrt{Hz}}$ is reported. Finally, some applications of high-precision Rasnik systems are set out.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2020

Lunar Gravitational-Wave Antenna

Monitoring of vibrational eigenmodes of an elastic body excited by gravitational waves was one of the first concepts proposed for the detection of gravitational waves. At laboratory scale, these experiments became known as resonant-bar detectors first developed by Joseph Weber in the 1960s. Due to the dimensions of these bars, the targeted signal frequencies were in the kHz range. Weber also pointed out that monitoring of vibrations of Earth or Moon could reveal gravitational waves in the mHz band. His Lunar Surface Gravimeter experiment deployed on the Moon by the Apollo 17 crew had a technical failure rendering the data useless. In this article, we revisit the idea and propose a Lunar Gravitational-Wave Antenna (LGWA). We find that LGWA could become an important partner observatory for joint observations with the space-borne, laser-interferometric detector LISA, and at the same time contribute an independent science case due to LGWA's unique features. Technical challenges need to be overcome for the deployment of the experiment, and development of inertial vibration sensor technology lays out a future path for this exciting detector concept.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Ground Based Gravitational Wave Astronomy in the Asian Region

The current gravitational wave detectors have identified a surprising population of heavy stellar mass black holes, and an even larger population of coalescing neutron stars. The first observations have led to many dramatic discoveries and the confirmation of general relativity in very strong gravitational fields. The future of gravitational wave astronomy looks bright, especially if additional detectors with greater sensitivity, broader bandwidth, and better global coverage can be implemented. The first discoveries add impetus to gravitational wave detectors designed to detect in the nHz, mHz and kHz frequency bands. This paper reviews the century-long struggle that led to the recent discoveries, and reports on designs and possibilities for future detectors. The benefits of future detectors in the Asian region are discussed, including analysis of the benefits of a detector located in Australia.

gr-qc↗