Five Pillars

Research

Gravitational-wave detectors, quantum measurement, fundamental physics, photonic systems, and AI for experimental control.

LIGO vacuum equipment
01 / Pillar

LIGO & Experimental Gravity Infrastructure

Build and upgrade the hardware and controls that make gravitational-wave interferometers work: lasers, optics, vacuum, suspension, and commissioning tools for current and next‑generation detectors.

Squeezed light source inside LIGO vacuum chamber
02 / Pillar

Quantum Measurement & Control

Develop quantum resources and measurement strategies—squeezing, non‑Gaussian states, and quantum links—to push precision sensing beyond standard quantum limits.

300-meter filter cavity vacuum tube
03 / Pillar

Quantum Gravity & Foundational Physics

Design tabletop experiments that probe quantum aspects of gravity and test foundational questions at the interface of quantum mechanics and spacetime.

View of squeezed light optics in LIGO vacuum chamber
04 / Pillar

Frontier Photonics & Energy Systems

Create high‑power photonic systems where coherence, damage thresholds, and feedback control are central challenges, with applications from advanced interferometers to energy‑relevant laser platforms.

LIGO Hanford control room with monitoring displays
05 / Pillar

AI for Experimental Physics

Apply machine learning and control to complex experiments: faster lock acquisition, robust operation, automated diagnostics, and design optimization for precision instruments.