The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) has launched the era of gravitational wave astronomy.

Gravitational waves are ripples in the metric of space-time caused by accelerating mass, and can carry information about the motions of astronomical objects. On September 14, 2015, the detection of gravitational waves by Advanced LIGO (aLIGO) was a dramatic confirmation of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. These waves were produced by the inspiral and merger of two black holes, an event never before observed, inaugurating a new era of astronomy.

As the aLIGO observatories approach their design sensitivity, nearly 100 mergers between black holes and/or neutron stars have been detected. In the future we also look forward to detections of other sources of gravitational waves including  stellar collapses, pulsars, low mass X-ray binaries, and a stochastic background of radiation from the early universe. New and unexpected sources will almost certainly be found as well. 

Our group is a founding member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), and we are proud that our work on lasers, material science, and seismic isolation is evident in key components of the LIGO detectors. 

We are engaged in research to enable the success of gravitational wave detectors through close involvement with the LSC. Ongoing areas of research focus on seismic isolation, materials and detector characterization.  We also lead the Center for Coatings Research.  See our research page for further details.