...but the effective storage time of the power recycling cavity in LIGO is about 1 second. This is a rather long time by optical standards, but I'd say it's a long way from "indefinitely".
Agreed. My post may have been more tautological than I'd hoped (in the absence of loss, a cavity is lossless). Thank you for the important reminder that in nature, there is no DC.
In the sense in which I'd understood the question "Cavity losses are often dominated by reflectivity losses at the mirrors: does an improved mirror make a big difference?", I think my reply is relevant.
In the sense in which I'd understood the question "Cavity losses are often dominated by reflectivity losses at the mirrors: does an improved mirror make a big difference?", I think my reply is relevant.