New Technologies in Gravitational-Wave Detection

Abstract

Over the past two decades, interferometric gravitational-wave (GW) detector technology has been dramatically improved and is now reaching sensitivity levels that are generally believed to be sufficient for the first direct detection of GWs generated by astrophysical sources. Second-generation detectors are currently being commissioned and should produce the first observation data as early as this year. Upgrades and new detection techniques are also under development for third-generation detectors, which are expected to fully explore the potential of GW astrophysics. We describe the technology choices used or planned for second- and third-generation GW detectors.