Development of Ultra-low Optical and Mechanical Loss aSi Coatings Using Novel ECR Ion Beam Deposition

One of the significant limiting factors in gravitational wave detectors is the Brownian noise associated with the optical coatings [1], which are required to form the highly-reflective laser mirrors. UWS has a unique range of capabilities being used to help develop novel coating technology that can address this challenge, targeted for aLIGO+ and beyond.