Prototype superfluid gravitational wave detector

We study a cross-shaped cavity filled with superfluid 4He as a prototype resonant-mass gravitational wave detector. Using a membrane and a reentrant 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 t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. D 2021-10, Vol.104 (8), p.1, Article 082001
Main Authors: Vadakkumbatt, V., Hirschel, M., Manley, J., Clark, T. J., Singh, S., Davis, J. P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Broadband
Fluids
Gravitational waves
Helium
Prototypes
Superfluidity
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Summary:We study a cross-shaped cavity filled with superfluid 4He as a prototype resonant-mass gravitational wave detector. Using a membrane and a reentrant 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 × 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 gravitational waves in the 1 – 30 kHz range, relevant for a number of astrophysical sources both within and beyond the Standard Model.
ISSN:2470-0010
2470-0029
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevD.104.082001