The main focus of my research has been for quite some time on the design, construction and commissioning of gravitational wave detectors. This includes the ground-based detectors of the LIGO, VIRGO and GEO 600 projects as well as future detectors, such as the Einstein Telescope, envisaged as a third generation detector in Europe, and the space-based LISA. My special interest here lies in the development of advanced optical technologies and the tools to evolve such new ideas into real applications.

This is a broad field of experimental physics and engineering. My group contributes actively to the current detectors and to the design of the next generation detectors. We further develop and test new optical techniques in table-top experiments. My group currently works on the following projects:

• Development of advanced technolgies for third generation gravitational wave detectors
• Optical system design of the 2nd and 3rd generation detectors
• Commissioning of GEO 600 and Advanced Ligo
• Developing simulation tools for advanced gravitational wave detectors