Optimal system identification

As LIGO tries to measure motion 10,000 times smaller than an atomic nucleus, it is necessary that we know its optical and mechanical responses to great accuracy. We do this by sending active excitations to the system and then measuring its response. However, in many cases, the amount of excitation needs to be limited (e.g., to avoid saturation, etc.) and the measurement time is finite. Therefore, I am designing educated excitations so that we can maximize the information we get from measurements.

This is a project ongoing. Stay tuned!