title: The Advanced LIGO photon calibrators.
abstract: The two interferometers of the Laser Interferometry Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) recently detected gravitational waves from the mergers of binary black hole systems. Accurate calibration of the output of these detectors was crucial for the observation of these events and the extraction of parameters of the sources. The principal tools used to calibrate the responses of the second-generation (Advanced) LIGO detectors to gravitational waves are systems based on radiation pressure and referred to as photon calibrators. These systems, which were completely redesigned for Advanced LIGO, include several significant upgrades that enable them to meet the calibration requirements of second-generation gravitational wave detectors in the new era of gravitational-wave astronomy. We report on the design, implementation, and operation of these Advanced LIGO photon calibrators that are currently providing fiducial displacements on the order of 10-18m/Hz with accuracy and precision of better than 1%.
authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
authors.forename: S
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authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tuyenbayev
authors.affiliation: LIGO Livingston Observatory, Livingston, Louisiana 70754, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kandhasamy
authors.affiliation: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
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authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.affiliation: Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
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authors.initials: EH
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authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
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authors.lastname: Berliner
authors.affiliation: LIGO Livingston Observatory, Livingston, Louisiana 70754, USA.
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authors.affiliation: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
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authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
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authors.lastname: Canete
authors.affiliation: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
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authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Daveloza
authors.affiliation: LIGO Livingston Observatory, Livingston, Louisiana 70754, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Lillo
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gleason
authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
authors.forename: E
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authors.lastname: Goetz
authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
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authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kissel
authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
authors.forename: G
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authors.lastname: Mendell
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, Texas 78520, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Quetschke
authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodruck
authors.affiliation: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sachdev
authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
authors.forename: T
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authors.lastname: Sadecki
authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Schwinberg
authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sottile
authors.affiliation: Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio 43022, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wade
authors.affiliation: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Weinstein
authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: LIGO Hanford Observatory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Savage