Speaker
Description
The European third generation gravitational-wave detector Einstein Telescope will rely on cryogenics and silicon as mirror and suspension material to achieve unprecedented low-frequency sensitivity. Prototyping and characterisation of these new technologies on a system-level is needed to inform the design and future upgrades of the large-scale observatory. This is the mission of ETpathfinder, a 10m prototype facility hosted by Maastricht University, the Netherlands, and involving more than 20 research institutions from 8 different countries.
The inner mechanics of the ETpathfinder vacuum system are currently under construction with two suspended optical tables already commissioned to host the injection system of the 1550nm pre-stabilised laser, the beamsplitter and steering optics. At the moment, we are preparing the installation of the first cryogenic mirror tower with a cryostat hosting two 3kg-silicon test masses at 15K. In this talk, we give an overview of the current status, recent results from ongoing activities and future plans with a focus on the technologies being tested and deliverables to current and future detectors.