Space-based optical lattice clocks as gravitational wave detectors in search for new physics

IF 6.4 1区物理与天体物理 Q1 PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy Pub Date : 2025-02-19 DOI:10.1007/s11433-024-2573-3

Bo Wang, Bichu Li, Qianqian Xiao, Geyu Mo, Yi-Fu Cai

{"title":"Space-based optical lattice clocks as gravitational wave detectors in search for new physics","authors":"Bo Wang, Bichu Li, Qianqian Xiao, Geyu Mo, Yi-Fu Cai","doi":"10.1007/s11433-024-2573-3","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>We investigate the sensitivity and performance of space-based optical lattice clocks (OLCs) in detecting gravitational waves, in particular the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) at low frequencies (10<sup>−4</sup>, 1) Hz, which are inaccessible to ground-based detectors. We first analyze the response characteristics of a single OLC detector for SGWB detection and compare its sensitivity with that of laser interferometer space antenna (LISA). Due to longer arm lengths, space-based OLC detectors can exhibit unique frequency responses and enhance the capability to detect SGWB in the low-frequency range, but the sensitivity of a single OLC detector remains insufficient overall compared with LISA. Then, as a preliminary plan, we adopt a method of cross-correlation on two OLC detectors to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This method leverages the uncorrelated origins but statistically similar properties of noise in two detectors while the SGWB signal is correlated between them, thus achieving effective noise suppression and sensitivity enhancement. Future advancements in OLC stability are expected to further enhance their detection performance. This work highlights the potential of OLC detectors as a promising platform for SGWB detection, offering complementary capabilities to LISA, and opening an observational window into more astrophysical sources and the early universe.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":774,"journal":{"name":"Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy","volume":"68 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11433-024-2573-3","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

We investigate the sensitivity and performance of space-based optical lattice clocks (OLCs) in detecting gravitational waves, in particular the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) at low frequencies (10⁻⁴, 1) Hz, which are inaccessible to ground-based detectors. We first analyze the response characteristics of a single OLC detector for SGWB detection and compare its sensitivity with that of laser interferometer space antenna (LISA). Due to longer arm lengths, space-based OLC detectors can exhibit unique frequency responses and enhance the capability to detect SGWB in the low-frequency range, but the sensitivity of a single OLC detector remains insufficient overall compared with LISA. Then, as a preliminary plan, we adopt a method of cross-correlation on two OLC detectors to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This method leverages the uncorrelated origins but statistically similar properties of noise in two detectors while the SGWB signal is correlated between them, thus achieving effective noise suppression and sensitivity enhancement. Future advancements in OLC stability are expected to further enhance their detection performance. This work highlights the potential of OLC detectors as a promising platform for SGWB detection, offering complementary capabilities to LISA, and opening an observational window into more astrophysical sources and the early universe.

查看原文本刊更多论文

作为引力波探测器的天基光学晶格钟在寻找新的物理学

我们研究了天基光学晶格时钟（OLCs）探测引力波的灵敏度和性能，特别是在低频（10−4,1）Hz的随机引力波背景（SGWB），这是地面探测器无法达到的。首先分析了单OLC探测器用于SGWB探测的响应特性，并将其与激光干涉仪空间天线（LISA）的灵敏度进行了比较。由于臂长较长，天基OLC探测器可以表现出独特的频率响应，增强了低频范围内探测SGWB的能力，但与LISA相比，单个OLC探测器的灵敏度总体上仍然不足。然后，作为初步方案，我们对两个OLC检测器采用互相关的方法来提高信噪比（SNR）。该方法利用了两个检测器中噪声来源不相关但统计性质相似的特点，而SGWB信号之间是相关的，从而实现了有效的噪声抑制和灵敏度提高。OLC稳定性的未来进展有望进一步提高其检测性能。这项工作突出了OLC探测器作为SGWB探测平台的潜力，为LISA提供了补充能力，并打开了观测更多天体物理源和早期宇宙的窗口。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY-

CiteScore

10.30

自引率

6.20%

发文量

4047

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy, an academic journal cosponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and published by Science China Press, is committed to publishing high-quality, original results in both basic and applied research. Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy, is published in both print and electronic forms. It is indexed by Science Citation Index. Categories of articles: Reviews summarize representative results and achievements in a particular topic or an area, comment on the current state of research, and advise on the research directions. The author’s own opinion and related discussion is requested. Research papers report on important original results in all areas of physics, mechanics and astronomy. Brief reports present short reports in a timely manner of the latest important results.