A cryogenic test-mass suspension with flexures operating in compression for third-generation gravitational-wave detectors
Abstract This paper presents an analysis of the conceptual design of a novel silicon suspension for the cryogenic test-mass mirrors of the low-frequency detector of the Einstein telescope gravitational-wave observatory. In traditional suspensions, tensional stress is a severe limitation for achieving low thermal noise, safer mechanical margins and high thermal conductance simultaneously. In order to keep the tensional stress sufficiently low, we propose the use of rigid beams with large cross sections, combined with short flexures under compressional load. This configuration takes advantage of the higher strength of silicon in compression with respect to its strength in tension. The flexures are mechanically robust and at the same time soft in the working direction, thus producing low suspension thermal noise and, by being short, provide high thermal conductance for cryogenic cooling. The rigid beams, located between the test mass and an intermediate mass, allow the elimination of the recoil mass used conventionally for applying control forces for interferometer lock, and the use of optical anti-springs to reduce the pendulum resonant frequency to further improve the vibration isolation of the test mass. The configuration has the capability to reach a lower mirror operational temperature, which is expected to produce a substantial reduction of the thermal noise in the mirrors of the interferometer.
Authors
- M. A. Barton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9948-306X)
- L. Lopez
- Claudia E. Moreno (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9584-2619)
- Stefano Selleri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3090-1451)
- J. V. VanHeijningen
- Mynor Soto Soto
- G. Iannone (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8347-7549)
- M Zeoli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1898-4844)
- M. Mondin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3105-3802)
- Esra Zerina Appavuravther
- Guerino Avallone (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5482-0299)
- E. Hennes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2246-5496)
- F. E. Peña Arellano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8516-5159)
- S. D. Linker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6762-0525)
- K. Sandy Pang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0683-2129)
- R. DeSalvo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4818-0296)
- B. Gallego
- F. Travasso (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4653-6156)
- Alessandro Bertolini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0456-2452)
- F. Badaracco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8553-7904)
- C. A. Chavez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1941-4873)
- Andy Damas
- Richard Damas
- Nelson Leon Leon
- Fernando Velez
- Harry Theman
Institutions
- Università di Camerino (IT)
- University of Salerno (IT)
- University of Liège (BE)
- University of Sannio (IT)
- Universidad de Guadalajara (MX)
- California State University Los Angeles (US)
- National Institute for Subatomic Physics (NL)
- Ion Beam Applications (Belgium) (BE)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova (IT)
- Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (DE)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Perugia (IT)
- University of Florence (IT)
- The University of Tokyo (JP)
- University of Glasgow (GB)
- University of Genoa (IT)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Classical and Quantum Gravity
- Published
- 2025-08-19
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6382/adfd35
- Primary Topic
- Superconducting Materials and Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
- Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare