Description du sujet de thèse

The Artemis lab of the Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur in Nice, France, is looking for highly motivated experimental physicists for one PhD position on the project: "Laser power stabilization and bright squeezing generation via radiation pressure".
The project has the goal of sensing power fluctuations via the radiation pressure force they exert in a suspended pendulum mirror and also of investigations on bright squeezing generation using this scheme. The experiment will involve building and testing a suspended optical cavity limited by thermal noise, sensing power noise fluctuations, and activating a control loop to stabilize those fluctuations. In a later step we will build an optical spring and demonstrate bright squeezing generation. The candidate will develop a broad range of experimental and theoretical skills and will work with optical cavities, electronics and control loops, vacuum technology, suspensions, and perform simulations of the quantum regime of the experiment with two photon formalism.

Applicants should hold (or be close to finish) a master degree in physics. Good knowledge in general physics and optics is required, with an ability for team work. Experience in experimental optics would be well appreciated.

Contexte de travail

The open position is in the “Laser and Cavities” group which is highly involved in the research of laser light sources for gravitational wave detectors. Our group is responsible for the pre-stabilized laser system of the Virgo gravitational wave detector (led by Prof. Walid Chaibi), and is active on pioneer techniques to improve the sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors like the control of optical parametric instabilities, laser noise requirements for future detectors, reaching the quantum noise limit in interferometers and suspended optical cavities.
The Artemis lab is involved in research dedicated to gravitational waves, with broad expertise ranging from experimental work to fundamental physics, astrophysics, and data analysis, for both ground-based (LVK) and space-based (LISA) detectors. The prospective candidate will become part of the Virgo and Einstein Telescope collaborations and participate in its activities.