research

Research Interests

My group studies materials by optical reflectance or transmittance at wavelengths from the far infrared through the near ultraviolet. Among the topics studied are high-temperature superconductors, electroactive (conducting) polymers, low-dimensional organic crystals, fullerenes, and a number of other systems. We have also contributed to transport and other studies, and have worked on techniques and applications.
I am also a member of U12IR at the NSLS, where we use synchrotron radiation to carry out pump-probe measurements in the far infrared, in collaboration with Larry Carr, Dave Reitze, and Chris Stanton.

The LIGO experiment, one of the largest projects ever undertaken by the US National Science Foundation, has as its goal the detection and study of gravitational waves. These waves were predicted 80 years ago by Einstein's general theory of relativity but never have been observed directly. The LIGO observatory consists of three separate laser interferometers, two in Washington State and one in Louisiana. These are Michelson interferometers, with Fabry-Perot cavities in the arms to increase the storage time of light in the interferometer. The arms are 4 km (in one case 2 km) in length, allowing precise measurement of the motion of test masses which make up the end mirrors of the interferometers.

The UF LIGO group is carrying out analysis of the data from the interfereometers, studying advanced configurations for the LIGO detector, and building the input optics for LIGO.

With Pierre Sikivie and Neil Sullivan, I'm involved in a full-scale dark-matter axion search at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Florida group contributed a high-resolution spectral analysis package to this experiment.

David Tanner / Last modified: 10 February 08