Overview of KAGRA: Detector design and construction history

TL;DR

KAGRA is a groundbreaking underground gravitational-wave detector in Japan, utilizing cryogenic mirrors and innovative design features, marking significant advancements in detector technology and construction history.

Contribution

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of KAGRA's design configurations and historical development, highlighting its novel cryogenic and underground construction approaches.

Findings

KAGRA completed installation in 2019 with baseline configuration

Cryogenic mirrors reduce seismic and thermal noise

Underground location enhances detector stability

Abstract

KAGRA is a newly built gravitational-wave telescope, a laser interferometer comprising arms with a length of 3\,km, located in Kamioka, Gifu, Japan. KAGRA was constructed under the ground and it is operated using cryogenic mirrors that help in reducing the seismic and thermal noise. Both technologies are expected to provide directions for the future of gravitational-wave telescopes. In 2019, KAGRA finished all installations with the designed configuration, which we call the baseline KAGRA. In this occasion, we present an overview of the baseline KAGRA from various viewpoints in a series of of articles. In this article, we introduce the design configurations of KAGRA with its historical background.