April 2026

By: Gregory Iaquaniello and Yuliya Hoika

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Did you know? Gregory Iaquaniello’s path to ETO has included lasers, accelerators, dark matter and major research infrastructures across Europe – all of which now feed into his work on the future Einstein Telescope.

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Based at IJCLab-CNRS in Orsay, France, Gregory Iaquaniello joined ETO in November 2024 as a mechanical engineer in the coordination and integration team within the Engineering Department. With more than 20 years of experience in mechanical design, simulation and scientific infrastructure he brings to the Einstein Telescope a rare combination of engineering precision and big-project perspective.

Before joining ETO, Gregory worked across a wide range of cutting-edge research environments: from leading laser-plasma experiments at the Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, to contributing to major European infrastructures linked to the Extreme Light Infrastructure, to accelerator and dark matter projects at CNRS and Gran Sasso. Since 2022, he has also been involved in the Einstein Telescope project through the Instrument Science Board, working on simulations and design studies linked to Virgo and ET tower concepts.

Today at ETO, Gregory helps turn complex concepts into workable engineering systems. One of his current priorities is developing the workflow for integrating components into the 3DExperience digital mock-up, in collaboration with colleagues from INFN and Aachen. He has also helped develop an automated “skeleton framework” for the interferometer: a digital 3D backbone that updates dynamically whenever tower coordinates change, making integration easier and reducing the risk of human error.

Over the past year, his work has also included simulations of the Einstein Telescope test-mass tower, optimisation of thermal shield designs to improve stability while reducing mass, and contributions to detector layout studies such as defining cleanroom dimensions for maintenance operations. Together, these efforts help ensure that the Einstein Telescope’s future infrastructure is not only ambitious in scope, but robust and practical in design.

“What I enjoy most about working for ETO is the chance to be part of Einstein Telescope at the very beginning. It is a rare, once-in-a-career opportunity: to help shape a scientific facility that will serve the research community for decades to come.” - Gregory Iaquaniello