The research group for gravitational wave detection at the University of Hamburg studies metrology and develops instrumentation for current and future ground and space-based detectors like the Einstein Telescope, LIGO, the Lunar Gravitational Wave Antenna and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) with a focus on laser interferometry with a focus on inertial sensing, scattered light, compact interferometers, digital readout and control. Application deadline: January 4th 2026.
The candidate is expected to contribute to the efforts to understand, model and reduce controls noise in current and future detectors and, specifically, to support the design of the Einstein Telescope low-frequency seismic isolation and active noise mitigation system. Relevant findings will also be contributed to current detectors such as LIGO.
The local seismic isolation, sensor, and control test bed VATIGrav provides opportunities for in-house experiments that use compact interferometric sensors developed by our group in combination with mechanical systems such as beam balances and suspended masses to create and test multi-degree-of-freedom inertial sensors and to integrate them into the active isolation system using modern or even machine-learning based control strategies. This work shall specifically also involve the exchange with other groups in e.g., the Einstein Telescope and IGWN collaborations by conducting tests of sensors from other collaborating groups and by contributing to experiments in other international R&D facilities.
The candidate will join the LIGO collaboration and the Einstein Telescope collaboration.
For any questions please contact Oliver Gerberding (oliver.gerberding(at)uni-hamburg.de)
Please find here full details.