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Authors: A. Freise, S. Chelkowski, S. Hild, W. Del Pozzo, A. Perreca, A. Vecchio

Date: 7 Apr 2008

Abstract: The upcoming European design study ‘Einstein gravitational wave Telescope’ represents the first step towards a substantial, international effort for the design of a third-generation interferometric gravitational wave detector. It is generally believed that third generation instruments cannot be installed into existing infrastructures but will require a new search for optimal detector sites. Consequently, the detector design will be subject to fewer constraints than the on-going design of the second generation instruments. In particular, it will be prudent to investigate alternatives to the traditional L-shaped Michelson interferometer. In this article, we review an old proposal to use three Michelson interferometers in a triangular configuration. We use this example of a triple Michelson interferometer to clarify the terminology and will put this idea into the context of more recent research on interferometer technologies. Furthermore the benefits of a triangular detector will be used to motivate this design as a good starting point for a more detailed research effort towards a third-generation gravitational wave detector.

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