chanelink logo
CHANELINK
English

This innovation will significantly improve the sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors

54
2024-04-17 16:23:40
See translation

In 2017, the detection of gravitational waves generated by the merger of binary neutron stars marked a significant breakthrough in physics. These waves reveal important information about the universe, from the origin of short gamma ray bursts to the formation of heavy elements.

However, capturing gravitational waves from the merged residue remains a challenge as these waves avoid the detection range of the current detector. However, they can illuminate the internal structure of neutron stars.

The solution may lie in amplifying signals through optical springs and simulating spring behavior using the radiation pressure of light. The Tokyo Institute of Technology's Japan research group, led by associate professors Kentaro Somiya and Dr. Sotatsu Otabe, has proposed an innovation: Kerr effect enhanced optical springs.

In order to make the system more sensitive without requiring more energy, researchers used special techniques in optical equipment. They introduced a material called Kerr medium. This material has a unique characteristic of changing the refractive index of light.

Due to this feature, the device can act as a harder optical spring, thereby enhancing its ability to respond to very subtle changes (such as those caused by gravitational waves) without consuming more energy. Tests have shown that this method increases the hardness of lightweight springs by 1.6 times, enabling the device to detect changes at higher frequencies (from 53 Hz to 67 Hz).

This progress paves the way for the next generation of gravitational wave detectors, which can detect elusive waves to date and provide us with an additional key to understanding the composition of the universe. The proposed design is easy to implement and introduces adjustable parameters into the optomechanical system.

Source: Laser Net

Related Recommendations

  • Two Enterprises Collaborate to Overcome Optical Pollution in Vacuum Laser Welding

    Cambridge Vacuum Engineering (CVE), a precision welding equipment company in the UK, and Cranfield University recently announced that they have successfully reached a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), which will provide global engineers with more welding options.In this cooperation, both parties jointly solved the optical pollution problem in vacuum laser welding, paving the way for the compre...

    2024-02-03
    See translation

  • RTX Raytheon Company will develop ultra wide bandgap semiconductors for ultraviolet lasers

    The UWBGS program will develop and optimize ultra wide bandgap materials and manufacturing processes for the next revolution in the semiconductor electronics field.US military researchers need to develop new integrated circuit substrates, device layers, junctions, and low resistance electrical contacts for the new generation of ultra wide bandgap semiconductors. They found a solution from RTX comp...

    2024-09-30
    See translation

  • Entangled photon pairs generated by quantum light sources can be used for quantum computing and cryptography

    A new device composed of semiconductor rings generates pairs of entangled photons, which can be used in photon quantum processors.Quantum light sources generate entangled photon pairs, which can be used in quantum computing and cryptography. A new experiment has demonstrated a quantum light source made from semiconductor gallium nitride. This material provides a multifunctional platform for devic...

    2024-03-30
    See translation

  • Changing Optical Design: How Multi scale Simulation Improves the Efficiency of Modern Devices

    Optical equipment is an integral part of technologies such as data centers and autonomous vehicle, which are constantly developing to meet the needs of complex applications. The challenge faced by designers is to manipulate light at the wavelength scale to achieve the required optical properties, which requires precision at both the nano and macro scales. Nanoscale structures, such as those on LED...

    2024-03-02
    See translation

  • TRUMPF high-power laser dynamic beam shaping technology creates opportunities for the electric vehicle industry

    It is reported that researchers from TRUMPF in Germany reported research on using dynamic beam shaping of high-power lasers to improve the productivity of hairpin stators, creating opportunities for the electric vehicle industry. Relevant research was published in "PhotonicsViews" under the title "Unlocking opportunities for the EV industry with beam shaping of high-power lasers".The electric vehi...

    2024-07-01
    See translation