Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Developing an optical chopper-modulated capacitive probe for measuring surface charge.

D Ugolini1, R McKinney, G M Harry

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA. dugolini@trinity.edu

The Review of Scientific Instruments
|May 5, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Black Hole Spectroscopy and Tests of General Relativity with GW250114.

Physical review letters·2026
Same author

GW250114: Testing Hawking's Area Law and the Kerr Nature of Black Holes.

Physical review letters·2025
Same author

Geographical and seasonal patterns in the carbonate chemistry of Narragansett Bay, RI.

Regional studies in marine science·2023
Same author

Search for Subsolar-Mass Binaries in the First Half of Advanced LIGO's and Advanced Virgo's Third Observing Run.

Physical review letters·2022
Same author

Constraints on Cosmic Strings Using Data from the Third Advanced LIGO-Virgo Observing Run.

Physical review letters·2021
Same author

Prospects for observing and localizing gravitational-wave transients with Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA.

Living reviews in relativity·2020
Same journal

Compressed multi-scale entropy and its application in mechanical fault diagnosis.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026
Same journal

Bidirectional drive and multi-resolution adjustment across frequency bands in inertial impact piezoelectric motors via multimodal resonant vibration.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026
Same journal

A magnetic field sensor based on flaky Terfenol-D material and dual fiber grating.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026
Same journal

A novel E-field eight-way cavity combiner for high-power S-band applications.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026
Same journal

Constant radius blade spring suspended bench for vibration isolation.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026
Same journal

Qualification of infrared optical fibers and emitters for a spectrometer for in situ planetary exploration: Results from the TRIS (TRansmission and Illumination System) project.

The Review of scientific instruments·2026
See all related articles

Surface charge on optics can create noise in gravitational-wave detectors like LIGO. A new capacitive probe measures this charge and its decay, crucial for improving detector sensitivity.

Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Astronomy
  • Instrumentation

Background:

  • Gravitational-wave observatories, such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), utilize suspended optics in Michelson interferometers to detect cosmic events.
  • Surface charge accumulation on these optics can introduce noise, affecting measurements between 10 Hz and 3 kHz.
  • This noise arises from fluctuating electric fields, interference with optical positioning, and dust attraction, all degrading optical performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel capacitive probe for measuring surface charge on optics.
  • To quantify the magnitude and relaxation time of surface charge in a high-vacuum environment.
  • To assess the probe's suitability for identifying noise sources in gravitational-wave detectors.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • A capacitive probe was designed and constructed for surface charge measurement.
  • A tuning-fork optical chopper was employed to modulate capacitance, ensuring vacuum compatibility and cost-effectiveness.
  • The probe was tested in high vacuum (approximately 10^-5 Torr) to evaluate its performance.

Main Results:

  • The developed capacitive probe achieved a resolution of (3.5+/-0.5)x10^5 electrons/cm^2 in air.
  • This resolution is comparable to charging levels that could impact Advanced LIGO sensitivity.
  • The probe demonstrated sufficient capability for measuring charge relaxation times on test optics.

Conclusions:

  • The capacitive probe is a viable tool for characterizing surface charge on optics.
  • This technology can help mitigate noise sources in sensitive gravitational-wave detectors.
  • Further application of this probe can lead to enhanced sensitivity and data quality in future observatories.