The seismically isolated optical ta

The seismically isolated optical tables allow for a variety of experiments to be set-up in the vacuum system. The main purpose of the AEI 10m Prototype is the development and testing of new techniques for ground-based interferometric gravitational wave detectors, such as GEO600, and proposed third generation detectors, for instance the Einstein Telescope [ Abernathy2011 ]. The AEI 10m Prototype is designed to facilitate a Michelson interferometer, capable of reaching a sensitivity effectively limited by quantum noise in the measurement band. Experiments, such as exploring quantum mechanical effects in macroscopic objects[ Müller-Ebhardt2008 ] and operating an interferometer below the Standard Quantum Limit (SQL) [ Gräf2012 ] are being developed.