Gravitational Radiation Detection with Laser Interferometry

Abstract

Gravitational-wave detection has been pursued relentlessly for over 40 years. With the imminent operation of a new generation of laser interferometers, it is expected that detections will become a common occurrence. The research into more ambitious detectors promises to allow the field to move beyond detection and into the realm of precision science using gravitational radiation. In this article, I review the state of the art for the detectors and describe an outlook for the coming decades.