Professor Evans' research is focused on gravitational wave detector instrument science, aimed at improving the sensitivity existing detectors and designing future detectors. In addition to his work on the Advanced LIGO detectors in Hanford, WA and Livingston, LA, in the labs at MIT Professor Evans explores the physical processes that set fundamental limits on the sensitivity of future gravitational wave detectors. Of particular interest are the quantum and thermal limitations which have the strongest impact on ground-based detectors like LIGO, and also play a role in the related fields of ultra-stable frequency references and macroscopic quantum measurement (MQM).
