Optimal quantum measurements in gravitational-wave detectors

Farid Ya Khalili

Farit Ya. Khalili

Yanbei Chen, S. L. Danilishin, Farid Ya Khalili +1 more

V. B. Braginsky, Yu.I. Vorontsov, F. Ya. Khalili

Rika Yamada, Yutaro Enomoto, A. Nishizawa +11 more

Matthew P.G. Robbins, Niayesh Afshordi, Robert B. Mann

We investigate a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) as a gravitational wave detector, and study its sensitivity by optimizing the properties of the condensate and the measurement duration. We show that detecting kilohertz gravitational waves is limited by current experimental techniques in squeezing BEC phonons. Without focussing on a specific detector setup, our study shows that substantive future improvements in technology (e.g., increasing the squeezing of BEC states or their physical size) will be necessary for such a detector to be competitive in measuring gravitational waves of astrophysical and/or cosmological origin.