LIGO Document P2000113-v8
- As sensitivities improve and more detectors are added to the global network of gravitational wave observatories, calibration accuracy and precision are becoming increasingly important. Photon Calibrators, relying on power-modulated auxiliary laser beams reflecting from suspended interferometer optics, enable continuous calibration by generating displacement fiducials proportional to the modulated laser power. Improvements in propagation of laser power calibration via transfer standards to on-line power sensors continuously monitoring the modulated laser power has enabled generation of length calibration fiducials with sub-percent accuracy. Referencing the laser power calibration standards for each observatory to a single reference transfer standard enables reducing relative calibration errors between elements of the detector network. Efforts within the national metrology institute community to realize improved laser power sensor calibration accuracy are ongoing.
- Version 8 contains the latest edits made for the third proof submitted to CQG on 10/20/2020
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