LSC Paper Highlighted by the Institute of Physics

A paper authored by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) was published last month in the "New Journal of Physics" and has been showcased in an article on the Institute of Physics (IOP) website. The LSC paper is titled, "Observation of a Kilogram-scale Oscillator near its Quantum Ground State," and describes LIGO's introduction of a novel cooling technique capable of approaching the quantum ground state of a kilogram-scale system. The work is ongoing and further refinements are expected. Thus, as the IOP article notes, in time "...it should be possible for quantum physicists to use the [LIGO] apparatus to observe quantum mechanical behaviour, such as quantum entanglement, at mass scales previously thought impractical." This is an excellent example of how fundamental work in one research field can have direct benefits to other areas of science and technology.

Read the complete Institute of Physics article as well as the published LIGO Scientific Collaboration paper here:
http://www.iop.org/News/news_35858.html