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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry
Published on: August 12, 2013
Shot noise in gravitational-wave detectors with Fabry-Perot arms
T T Lyons1, M W Regehr, F J Raab
1Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
Abstract:
Shot-noise-limited sensitivity is calculated for gravitational-wave interferometers with Fabry-Perot arms, similar to those being installed at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the Italian-French Laser Interferometer Collaboration (VIRGO) facility. This calculation includes the effect of nonstationary shot noise that is due to phase modulation of the light. The resulting formula is experimentally verified by a test interferometer with suspended mirrors in the 40-m arms.

