Mechanical quality factor of mirror substrates for VIRGO

Thermal noise in the mirror substrates is expected to be the main limit to the VIRGO sensitivity in the 50-500 Hz frequency range. The mechanical quality of the mirror substrates and the geometry of their suspension are expected to affect the noise level of the detector output. High mechanical Q have been obtained for different large fused silica substrates under VIRGO suspension conditions. Moreover, calcium fluoride substrates are shown to provide a more promising option for the design of future cryogenic, low thermal noise interferometers.