The Wave Hunters
Does the universe wobble? Following the theoretical prediction of Albert Einstein, researchers are trying to measure gravitational waves. They occur as a result of tiny distortions in spatial geometry. With their research, the wave hunters hope to expand our understanding of space and time. With their experiments, the physicists from Hanover are working at the quantum limit. The problem: the measurements require extremely powerful and precise technologies in order to keep the gravitational waves from disappearing into the background noise of the light particles. To meet this challenge, a new technology is being used: squeezed light. Will they be successful in directly verifying gravitational waves for the first time?
Tailor-Made and Remote-Controlled
Many of the components that are used for the experiment in the gravity wave detector GEO 600 were designed and built by the physicists themselves. This allows the electronic circuits to be tailor-made precisely to suit the experiment, meaning that it will run as stably as possible in the future. So that the researchers don’t need to work in a clean room every time they need to recover their experiment after they have encountered an error, they are designing bespoke software too, which will allow them to control the experiment in the detector remotely, via the Internet.
At a glance
Expanded and Squeezed
According to Albert Einstein, space-time behaves like an elastic mesh structure. The distortion of this mesh by massive objects, such as stars or planets, is what we refer to as gravitation.Stretched and compressed
According to Albert Einstein, the fabric of time and space behaves like an elasticated mesh. Heavy masses stretch the mesh, and if they move, the space-time mesh vibrates.Extremely Sensitive
Maximum sensitivity: GEO600. How exactly does the detector work, what challenges does it face, and what are its limits?Squeezed Light
Against the quantum nature of light: What do squeezed light and loaded dice have in common? Manipulation in the interest of science...New York, New York
Out of the lab, over to the USA: A conference in New York brings the wave hunters of the world together. What is accomplished on the trip?Clean Optics
The lenses need to be cleaned to make sure that not a single grain of dust disrupts the laser beam…Tailor-Made and Remote-Controlled
The researchers design and build a lot of the components for their experiments using the GEO600 themselves – and they are even developing a remote control system!High Tech in the Cornfield
A world first at GEO600: The wave hunters will soon become the very first people ever to install squeezed light in a gravity wave detector.A World Record
The decisive day has arrived for Henning and Alexander. Will they manage to reduce the light’s random quantum noise further than anyone has ever managed before?Needles in Space
The first direct proof of gravitational waves is within reach, but the goal is gravitational wave astronomy.- Archaeology
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