Gemini: the first underground testbed for seismic isolation and inter-platform control in next-generation gravitational-wave detectors
GEMINI is an underground research and development facility dedicated to advancing seismic isolation and control technologies for future gravitational-wave observatories, including the Einstein Telescope (ET) and the Lunar Gravitational-Wave Antenna (LGWA). This paper presents the technical design and theoretical framework of GEMINI's active seismic-isolation platforms, including detailed noise budget analyses, performance predictions, and residual platform-motion evaluations. The GEMINI platforms are designed to achieve unprecedented vibration isolation, targeting motion suppression across the 10 mHz to 10 Hz frequency band, with particular emphasis on the low-frequency regime below a few hertz relevant for ET-LF (low-frequency detector) and LGWA, and with the goal to make them the quietest platforms of their kind. In the context of ET, GEMINI will enable the development and validation of inter-platform control strategies essential for the stabilization of auxiliary degrees of freedom of its interferometers. GEMINI will also support the testing of cryogenic payloads and ultra-sensitive inertial sensors required for LGWA. By integrating advanced cryogenic systems, precision inertial sensors, and state-of-the-art vibration isolation technologies, GEMINI will serve as a versatile testbed for next-generation ground-based gravitational-wave detectors and lunar seismometry missions.
Authors
- Nicola D'Ambrosio
- Alessandro Lalli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7366-9632)
- Michele Angiolilli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7584-9485)
- T. Andrić (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9277-9773)
- Daniele Cortis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4272-7083)
- J. G. Rollins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9388-2799)
- J. Harms (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7332-9806)
- D. Orlandi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5567-792X)
- Marco Ricci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1938-1758)
- B. Lantz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7404-4845)
- C. M. Mow‐Lowry (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0351-4555)
- Oliver Gerberding (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7740-2698)
- S. Pirro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5160-7396)
- Massimiliano De Deo
- Marco D’Incecco
- Antonio Di Ludovico
- C. Macolino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2517-6574)
- R. Mittleman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3600-1289)
- J. Warner
- Ilaria Caravella
- Laura Leonzi
Institutions
- California Institute of Technology (US)
- Universität Hamburg (DE)
- University of L'Aquila (IT)
- LIGO Scientific Collaboration (US)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (IT)
- IIT@MIT (US)
- Gran Sasso Science Institute (IT)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma I (IT)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
- Sapienza University of Rome (IT)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The European Physical Journal Plus
- Published
- 2026-02-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-026-07372-7
- Primary Topic
- Geophysics and Sensor Technology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- European Commission
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Gran Sasso Science Institute
- Nuclear Physics
- Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso