Unlocking the Universe with quantum materials

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:22110077,
            doi = {10.48660/22110077},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/22110077},
            author = {McIver, Jess},
            keywords = {Condensed Matter},
            language = {en},
            title = {Unlocking the Universe with quantum materials},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2022},
            month = {nov},
            note = {PIRSA:22110077 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }
          

Abstract

Just seven years after their first detection, gravitational waves (GWs) have revealed the first glimpses of a previously hidden dark Universe. Using the GW signature of distant compact-object collisions, we have discovered a new population of stellar remnants and unlocked new tests of general relativity, cosmology, and ultra-dense matter. Materials with low mechanical loss (and strong constraints on other properties, e.g. reflectivity) are integral to the design and success of the GW detectors making these groundbreaking measurements. I'll summarize recent results from LIGO-Virgo and their wide-reaching implications, and discuss quantum materials advances required to enable future ground-based gravitational wave detectors, including Cosmic Explorer, to sense black hole collisions all the way back to the dawn of cosmic time.