Successful Einstein Telescope R&D program: six Dutch consortia launched to develop key technologies

Three new consortia recently added

Three new consortia will receive financial support from the R&D scheme for the Einstein Telescope, as will three consortia that started earlier. The R&D scheme is part of the Einstein Telescope valorisation programme for high-tech companies, a programme of the National Growth Fund. The scheme is implemented by the regional development companies (ROMs) under the leadership of LIOF. The aim of the R&D scheme is to realise innovation and accelerated development of new technologies for the Einstein Telescope. The six consortia will receive a combined subsidy of more than 12 million euros for this purpose. Combined with company contributions, the total project value is 14 million euros.

"The investments strengthen the bid to host the Einstein Telescope and increase the Netherlands' future earning potential," says Jorg van der Meij, Einstein Telescope valorisation programme manager at the Limburg regional development agency LIOF. "Science and industry need each other's knowledge and expertise to design and build the groundbreaking technology required for the Einstein Telescope. These innovations can also be marketed in other applications. This makes the Einstein Telescope a wonderful opportunity for society as a driver of innovation and prosperity. Companies are therefore enthusiastic about contributing their ideas and participating in this challenging project."

Minister Bruins of Education, Culture and Science is the minister responsible for the plans for the Einstein Telescope and this subsidy scheme. Bruins: "The fact that 26 Dutch high-tech companies and knowledge institutions are going to work on developing the technology needed for the Einstein Telescope is a major gain. This involves completely new knowledge and technology, beyond the limits of what is currently possible. Not only do we need this to build the Einstein Telescope, but it will also provide us with technology and innovations that we will see in our daily lives."

Einstein Telescope, a new window on the universe

The Einstein Telescope will be Europe's most advanced observatory for gravitational waves, more than ten times more sensitive than existing gravitational wave observatories. A large group of European research institutes, companies and governments are now working together on this ambitious project. Dutch consortia are contributing to part of the necessary technology. Read more below about the three recently formed consortia for Optics, Thermal Deformations and Vacuum Technology.

Consortium Optica

The heart of the Einstein Telescope is a series of sensitive silicon mirrors, 45 cm in diameter and weighing around 200 kg. These mirrors must be extremely smooth, reflect 99.999% of the laser light and operate at cryogenic temperatures between 10 and 20 °C above absolute zero. Its predecessor, LIGO, used smaller and lighter mirrors made of molten silicon dioxide at room temperature.

"The silicon used in the Einstein Telescope mirrors can withstand cryogenic temperatures, but there is still little experience worldwide with mirrors made of this material for such an application," says R&D manager Boris Landgraf of consortium leader Cosine Innovations. The consortium partners will test various techniques for super-polishing and sampling the silicon, as well as a technique for forging smaller mirror segments into a single unit. These techniques are Dutch specialisms and have applications in astronomy and the semiconductor industry.

The consortium consists of cosine innovations, SRON, VSL, Maastricht University, NOVA and TNO.

Thermal Deformations Consortium

To ensure that the Einstein Telescope's laser beams are perfectly focused, optical auxiliary systems with hundreds of mirrors are required. These mirrors can become slightly distorted due to small temperature differences. Such thermal deformation also distorts the laser beam and reduces the accuracy of the Einstein Telescope. The Thermal Deformations consortium is developing a system that measures and corrects these effects. "These are minute deviations, but for the precision we want to achieve with the Einstein Telescope, every picometre (millionth of a micrometre) is one too many," says programme manager Wouter Jonker of consortium leader TNO. One possible solution is to add a mirror with deformable elements that corrects unwanted distortions.

In addition to the deformable mirror, the partners are also developing machine learning to determine which of the hundreds of mirrors are deformed, and controls for the correction mirror that generate hardly any heat themselves. Jonker: "This is a considerable challenge, but one with potential for spin-offs. Think of telescopes to see planets around other stars, or laser communication that passes through the turbulent atmosphere undisturbed."

The consortium consists of TNO, Sioux Technologies, ATG Engineering, Hoursec, NOVA, Nikhef and DEMCON.

Vacuum Technology Consortium

The vacuum tubes of the Einstein Telescope are 120 kilometres long in total and ensure that air and dust do not interfere with the sensitive measurements. The metal of the vacuum tubes themselves can also introduce contaminants into the vacuum, such as dust particles or water vapour. The Vacuum Technology consortium develops and qualifies procedures for producing clean tube elements on a large scale. The work builds on R&D by the European particle physics laboratory CERN.

Vacuum specialist Peter van der Heijden (VDL ETG): "All process steps can cause contamination, from rolling, bending, closing and transporting to underground welding. We want to develop procedures for all these steps that guarantee the installation is delivered clean at the high cleanroom level ISO-6 and ultra-high vacuum of 5 x 10-11 mbar." Consortium partner TNO, for example, is testing plasma technology to remove unwanted water vapour from the metal surface by treating it with a hot, charged gas. This requires less energy than traditional annealing, in which the entire pipe is heated.

"A vacuum system of this size is unique in the world: a great opportunity to be able to contribute to this," says Managing Director Dorus van Leeuwen (VDL KTI). We can also apply the expertise we have built up in the increasingly larger and cleaner vacuum installations of the semiconductor industry.

The consortium consists of: TNO, VDL ETG Technology & Development, VDL KTI, Settels Savenije Group of Companies, SBE and Nikhef.

The Netherlands, together with Belgium and Germany, in the race for the Einstein Telescope

The underground Einstein Telescope will be Europe's most advanced observatory for gravitational waves. It will enable researchers to hear black holes collide and gain knowledge about the early universe. Several countries across Europe are working on proposals to build the Einstein Telescope. Governments in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany are in the running, with the border region between these three countries being an ideal location due to its tranquillity, stable soil and strong ecosystem of knowledge institutions and high-tech companies. In 2026/2027, it will be announced which location is most suitable and where this top-class facility will be built.

A telescope of this size is not only a boost for science, but also attracts scientists from all over the world. Based on research, it is expected that every euro spent on the Einstein Telescope will be recouped three to four times over and that the telescope will create 2,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly. Because the government considers the telescope important for science, society and the economy, it designated the realisation of the project a national priority at the end of last year.

Further information: einsteintelescope-emr.eu

Einstein Telescope for business

The R&D scheme is part of the Einstein Telescope valorisation programme for high-tech companies, a programme run by the National Growth Fund. Regional development agency (ROM) LIOF is responsible for its nationwide coordination, partly on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ), the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and research institute Nikhef. With three service points at the ROMs in North Brabant (BOM), South Holland (InnovationQuarter) and the Eastern Netherlands (Oost NL), connections are being sought nationwide with high-tech ecosystems around the technical universities, and in 2024, consortia will be established in collaboration with the business community and knowledge institutions.

Further information: einsteintelescopeforbusiness.nl

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