Ring Laser gyroscopes and Gravitational waves research

Abstract

The INFN research for the development of top sensitivity ring laser gyroscope began about 15 years ago. At that time the aim was to develop top sensitivity tilt-meter for the Virgo suspensions, and the CSN5 in 2009 has financed a first project to learn the technique, later the project passed to CSN2 as an R&D project to develop ring laser gyroscopes for fundamental physics investigation, in particular for general relativity tests. This long time work has proposed the GINGER experiment, based on an array of ring lasers, under construction inside the underground laboratory of Gran Sasso. The ring laser structure plays a big role, and the design developed for GINGER can be scaled down to approximately 1-1.5m side square structure. A prototype, called TRIO, has been built in Pisa and is in the commissioning phase. The feasible sensitivity and the possible utilization of RLG for third generation gravitationa waves detection will be discussed.