Gravitational wave detectors have reached the thermodynamic limit of optical coatings. Further sensitivity improvements require new coating materials and noise mitigation techniques. This project models the behaviour of higher order spatial laser modes in optical resonators for measuring coating thermal noise directly.

High precision optical measurement requires the development and deployment of highly stable laser sources. The first step towards stabilising a laser is tracking and measuring it's phase noise. This project aims to develop new signal processing and optical methods to track and stabilise cheap noisy lasers for precision measurement.

This project aims to build a novel framework to study supermassive black holes via their unique gravitational wave signatures, providing a multi-messenger tool to constrain galaxy formation in the early universe.
This is a joint project between CGA/RSPhys and RSAA. Co-supervisor at RSAA: Dr Yuxiang Qin (yuxiang.qin@anu.edu.au)  

Develop an active vibraiton isolation platform to provide a quiet, small displacement environment for high precision inteferometry.

In 2017, the first discovery of gravitational waves from two colliding neutron stars heralded a new age of multi-messenger astronomy. But what was left over after the collision? This project aims to find out.