Location: Hanford, WA
Cap-Exempt H-1B Position — No lottery required
Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community. **Job Summary** LIGO Hanford Observatory (LHO) relies on continuous efforts by science and operations teams to characterize and improve i) the 4-km interferometer displacement sensitivity, and ii) improve uptime of the interferometer. Both of these enterprises increase the rate of detection of gravitational wave events recorded by the network of detectors that includes LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA interferometers. The successful candidate will collaborate with commissioning scientists and the Operations team at LIGO Hanford Observatory, as well as colleagues at LIGO Livingston Observatory, Caltech, and MIT. As LHO Scientist, you will have the opportunity to apply your skills to the design, development, implementation, and commissioning of technologies that increase the Advanced LIGO detector sensitivity and robustness. This is a highly multidisciplinary activity. Your interests and passions will play a role in defining on which research aspect you will focus primarily: design and implement technologies and algorithms (including feedback control design and implementation) to reduce the noise sources that limit the current detector sensitivity; model optical subsystems of the interferometer and compare to data; calibrate the interferometer length sensitivity; investigate and eliminate noise couplings from the external environment of the detector; carry out R&D projects for future gravitational wave detectors, are among the many topics that are involved in the duties of a LIGO Hanford Observatory Scientist. You will have the opportunity to apply your knowledge to many different parts and aspects of the Advanced LIGO detectors, and there will be many