Prototype Superfluid Gravitational Wave Detector

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Vadakkumbatt, V., Hirschel, M., Manley, J., Clark, T. J., Singh, S., Davis, J. P.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2021
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author Vadakkumbatt, V.
Hirschel, M.
Manley, J.
Clark, T. J.
Singh, S.
Davis, J. P.
author_facet Vadakkumbatt, V.
Hirschel, M.
Manley, J.
Clark, T. J.
Singh, S.
Davis, J. P.
contents We study a cross-shaped cavity filled with superfluid $^4$He as a prototype resonant-mass gravitational wave detector. Using a membrane and a re-entrant microwave cavity as a sensitive optomechanical transducer, we were able to observe the thermally excited high-$Q$ acoustic modes of the helium at 20 mK temperature and achieved a strain sensitivity of $8 \times 10^{-19}$ Hz$^{-1/2}$ to gravitational waves. To facilitate the broadband detection of continuous gravitational waves, we tune the kilohertz-scale mechanical resonance frequencies up to 173 Hz/bar by pressurizing the helium. With reasonable improvements, this architecture will enable the search for GWs in the 1-30 kHz range, relevant for a number of astrophysical sources both within and beyond the Standard Model.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2107_00120
institution arXiv
publishDate 2021
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Prototype Superfluid Gravitational Wave Detector
Vadakkumbatt, V.
Hirschel, M.
Manley, J.
Clark, T. J.
Singh, S.
Davis, J. P.
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Other Condensed Matter
Quantum Physics
We study a cross-shaped cavity filled with superfluid $^4$He as a prototype resonant-mass gravitational wave detector. Using a membrane and a re-entrant microwave cavity as a sensitive optomechanical transducer, we were able to observe the thermally excited high-$Q$ acoustic modes of the helium at 20 mK temperature and achieved a strain sensitivity of $8 \times 10^{-19}$ Hz$^{-1/2}$ to gravitational waves. To facilitate the broadband detection of continuous gravitational waves, we tune the kilohertz-scale mechanical resonance frequencies up to 173 Hz/bar by pressurizing the helium. With reasonable improvements, this architecture will enable the search for GWs in the 1-30 kHz range, relevant for a number of astrophysical sources both within and beyond the Standard Model.
title Prototype Superfluid Gravitational Wave Detector
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Other Condensed Matter
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.00120