Abstract

The laser light sources required for the next generatioin of gravitational wave detectors using Michelson type interferometers have turned out to be extremely sophisticated. To achieve the desired sensitivity of at least 10^-21, the lasers have to work at high cw power levels in single-frequency operation with excellent frequency stability and extremely low amplitude noise. Beyond that, they should have a high efficiency, so that operational costs are within reasonable limits.

© 1994 IEEE