Andri M. Gretarsson

Dr. Andri M. Gretarsson is an active researcher in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (since its founding in 1996), and a professor of physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. As an instrumentalist, he works to characterize and improve the noise properties of the mirrors—the test masses—that form the heart of modern gravitational wave detectors. As a professor of physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he strives to hook young people on the excitement and creativity of laboratory work. At present, his lab is investigating birefringence and damage thresholds of a new generation of ultralow-noise crystalline mirrors.