Progress towards searching for high-frequency gravitational waves using a tabletop optically levitated particle-based interferometer (Levitated Sensor Detector)
ORAL
Abstract
Above the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA band lies an unexplored gravitational-wave window where transient signals from mergers of primordial black-holes and continuous monochromatic signals from the annihilation of superradiantly amplified clouds of ultralight bosons (including QCD-axion candidates) around spinning black holes may reside.
To explore this frequency regime, we are developing the Levitated Sensor Detector (LSD): a tabletop Michelson-type interferometer with Fabry-Perot arms in which an optically levitated dielectric micro-disk serves as a resonant force sensor. This detector is expected to target the 10-100 kHz frequency band with a thermal noise limited strain sensitivity of h ~ 10-21- 10-23.
In this presentation, I will describe the expected sensitivity, noise budgets, report on the experimental progress on our 1-m prototype and close with the near-term roadmap for first science runs and projected reach of future upgrades.
To explore this frequency regime, we are developing the Levitated Sensor Detector (LSD): a tabletop Michelson-type interferometer with Fabry-Perot arms in which an optically levitated dielectric micro-disk serves as a resonant force sensor. This detector is expected to target the 10-100 kHz frequency band with a thermal noise limited strain sensitivity of h ~ 10-21- 10-23.
In this presentation, I will describe the expected sensitivity, noise budgets, report on the experimental progress on our 1-m prototype and close with the near-term roadmap for first science runs and projected reach of future upgrades.
*This work was partially supported by the W.M. Keck Foundation, the Ofiice of Naval Research grant no. 417315//N00014-18-1-2370, the National Science Foundation, and the Heising-Simons Foundation.
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Presenters
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Shafaq Gulzar Elahi
- Northwestern University