Amorphous Solids, Stochastic Networks, and Gravitational-Wave Detector Mirror Coatings

Synopsis

Since the first detection of a binary black-hole merger in 2015, ground-based gravitational-wave detectors have turned into black-hole hunting machines. Enabling this revolutionary technology are amorphous mirror coatings that play an essential role in the interferometers’ function. The absurd precision of the detectors means that the actual Brownian motion of atoms in the mirrors is now one of the dominant noise sources. To enable the next generations of detectors, a deeper understanding of amorphous solids is needed. In this seminar, I will provide a brief introduction to both gravitational wave astronomy and amorphous materials before exploring our efforts towards understanding amorphous solids by embracing the beautiful messiness of disorder. I will discuss the surprising connections to stochastic thermodynamics and energy dissipation in networks.