B-PHOT Key Partner for Optics and Quantum Technologies in FWO Einstein Telescope Consortium
VUB Brussels Photonics (B-PHOT) will play a central role in the newly funded FWO ET‑TECH consortium – Empowering Tomorrow’s Technological Horizons for the Einstein Telescope. This Flemish collaboration unites leading research groups to develop next‑generation technologies for the Einstein Telescope (ET), Europe’s future underground gravitational‑wave observatory.
Within ET‑TECH, B‑PHOT contributes expertise to three major research tracks:
1. High‑precision core optics
B‑PHOT researchers will carry out ultra‑precise surface polishing and optical metrology of the ET mirrors. These optical components are crucial for achieving the unprecedented sensitivity required for next‑generation gravitational‑wave detection.
2. Quantum squeezer development
The team will help develop quantum squeezers for ETpathfinder and the Einstein Telescope at 1550 nm and 2090 nm with the aim of reducing quantum noise in the interferometer. The latter will push the observatory’s performance beyond current technological limits.
3. Freeform‑optics‑based mode cleaners
B‑PHOT will explore innovative freeform‑optics concepts for mode cleaners, enabling compact and highly efficient beam‑conditioning solutions within the ET optical infrastructure.
B‑PHOT’s involvement underscores VUB’s strong position in advanced photonics and its sustained contributions to major European scientific infrastructures.
