Dr. Andreas Freise

Biography

Andreas Freise's research focuses on instrumentation for gravitational-wave observatories with a special emphasis on optical design and interferometry. He has been a member of the gravitational wave community since 1998 and started working on the GEO 600 detector. He received his PhD from the Albert-Einstein Institute in Hannover in 2003 and subsequently contributed to the completion of the Virgo detector in Pisa from 2003 to 2005 before becoming a faculty member at the University of Birmingham. He joined the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and eventually became a Professor of Experimental Physics and the Deputy Director of the Institute for Gravitational Wave Astronomy. Freise pioneered the development of numerical simulations that are essential for the design and commissioning of large laser interferometers and created the software FINESSE, which is widely used for interferometer design within the field. Currently, Freise holds the position of Professor of Gravitational Wave Physics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he contributes to the Virgo project and is involved in efforts to realize the Einstein Telescope as a member of the ET steering committee, co-chairing the Instrument Science Board. He has successfully supervised 12 PhD projects, including several CSC-funded projects, and has contributed to numerous impactful publications in gravitational wave detection.

Research Interests