Spontaneous crystallization noise in mirrors of gravitational wave detectors

TL;DR

This paper investigates how spontaneous crystallization noise, due to devitrification in fused silica mirrors, can impact the sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors by introducing additional noise sources.

Contribution

It highlights the potential for spontaneous devitrification in fused silica mirrors to generate noise affecting gravitational wave detection performance.

Findings

Spontaneous crystallization can produce measurable noise in mirror components.

Devitrification processes may influence the sensitivity limits of gravitational wave detectors.

The study emphasizes the importance of understanding crystallization phenomena in high-precision optics.

Abstract

Core optics components for high precision measurements are made of stable materials, having small optical and mechanical dissipation. The natural choice in many cases is glass, in particular fused silica. Glass is a solid amorphous state of material that couldn't become a crystal due to high viscosity. However thermodynamically or externally activated stimulated local processes of spontaneous crystallization (known as devitrification) are still possible. Being random, these processes can produce an additional noise, and influence the performance of such experiments as laser gravitational wave detection.