Alignment control in gravitational-wave detectors has consistently proven to be a difficult problem due to the stringent noise contamination requirement for the gravitational wave readout and the radiation-pressure induced angular instability in Fabry-Perot cavities (Sidles-Sigg instability). In this thesis, I present optical springs as a tool to damp the motion of a mirror. I discuss the design and implementation of a single degree-of-freedom optical spring system and the importance of the photothermal effect in properly predicting optical spring behavior.;I also present the development and implementation of an angular control scheme, attempting to damp two degrees of freedom with two optical cavities. I then extend this understanding into a plausible concept for implementing optical-spring-based angular control in the Advanced LIGO detectors.
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