Adaptive optics in gravitational wave interferometers

In this paper we briefly discuss the possibility to use Adaptive Optics in long baseline interferometric gravitational wave detectors. Analisys is carried out to demonstrate the usefulness of Adaptive Optics as a method to integrate double-mode-cleaner systems, presently used or foreseen in the next generation detectors as systems for the reduction of geometrical fluctuations of input laser beam. Finally a prototype of (AO) system for the control of geometrical fluctuations in a laser beam, based on the interferometric detection of phase front, is presented. By comparison with the usual Shack-Hartmann based AO system, we show that this technique is of particular interest when high sensitivity and high band-pass are required for correction of small perturbations like, for instance, the control of the input beam of gravitational waves interferometric detectors.