Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment
Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen squeezing experiment for future gravitational-wave detectors
F de Marco, S. Di Pace, Hojae Ahn, W. Ali, M. Bawaj, B. Garaventa, C.H. Kim, P. Laudenzi, S. Lee, L. Lunghini, Luca Naticchioni, B.J. Park, A. Svizzeretto, M. De Laurentis, S. Lee, V. Sequino
Next-generation Earth-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors, such as the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer, will be at least an order of magnitude larger and more sensitive than current ones. Their quantum noise reduction systems, using linear filter cavities, will also scale up. To reduce system size and complexity, the EPR conditional squeezing scheme has been proposed as a cost-effective alternative to km-long filter cavities, while also aiming at lower optical losses. This experiment is designed to validate EPR conditional squeezing in a suspended small-scale interferometer limited by quantum radiation pressure noise, in the frequency band relevant to large-scale GW observatories, ranging from a few tens of Hz to a few kHz. It incorporates advanced methods such as reflective mode-matching telescopes and an automated data acquisition system.
Next-generation Earth-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors, such as the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer, will be at least an order of magnitude larger and more sensitive than current ones. Their quantum noise reduction systems, using linear filter cavities, will also scale up. To reduce system size and complexity, the EPR conditional squeezing scheme has been proposed as a cost-effective alternative to km-long filter cavities, while also aiming at lower optical losses. This experiment is designed to validate EPR conditional squeezing in a suspended small-scale interferometer limited by quantum radiation pressure noise, in the frequency band relevant to large-scale GW observatories, ranging from a few tens of Hz to a few kHz. It incorporates advanced methods such as reflective mode-matching telescopes and an automated data acquisition system.
Abstract Quantum Noise limits the sensitivity of gravitational wave interferometers across the full detection band (10 Hz – 10 kHz). Current detectors mitigate quantum noise through frequency-dependent squeezing using large, detuned filter cavities. However, such infrastructure poses challenges for future detectors like the Einstein Telescope, which require more compact and cost-effective solutions. A promising alternative uses Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) entanglement to achieve frequency-dependent squeezing without external filter cavities. We are developing an experiment in Virgo’s R&D squeezing laboratory at the European Gravitational Observatory to investigate EPR-based frequency-dependent squeezing in the audio band. The project involves researchers from INFN groups and universities in Italy and institutions in South Korea. After a brief introduction to the scientific motivation, this work describes the main components and summarizes the current status of our experiment and its potential impact on third-generation gravitational wave detectors.
Frequency-dependent squeezing (FDS) represents a well established way to address quantum noise (QN) in Gravitational-Wave (GW) Earth-based detectors, such as LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA. This technique is realized with the use of an external detuned optical resonator, the filter cavity. The experiment we present here is a table-top prototype that will probe a cheaper, more compact and more flexible strategy for broadband QN reduction (Ma et al., 2017). This scheme is based on two-mode Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen (EPR) entangled squeezed light, and it works without any filter cavity. The EPR-entangled beams will propagate in a small-scale suspended interferometer with high-finesse arm-cavities. This experiment aims at validating the EPR conditional squeezing at audio frequencies, suited for GW detection, implementing also innovative optical techniques.
General relativity predicts the existence of gravitational waves (GWs), ripples in spacetime that are now observable to highly sensitive interferometers. However, quantum noise poses a significant challenge for gravitational wave (GW) interferometers, influencing the entire bandwidth range (10-10,000 Hz) of the current GW detectors. At higher frequencies, shot noise (SN) predominates, while at lower frequencies, radiation-pressure noise (RPN) becomes the limiting factor, reducing both sensitivity and measurement precision. Squeezing techniques are implemented to address this issue by confining uncertainty within one quadrature of the light field. Starting from the observing run, O4 Virgo and LIGO have enhanced this method through frequency-dependent squeezing (FDS). By employing a 300-meter-long detuned filter cavity, the squeezing ellipse is rotated, allowing phase squeezing at high frequencies to reduce and amplitude squeezing at low frequencies to mitigate RPN, ultimately refining detection capabilities across the frequency spectrum. A promising alternative technique to reduce quantum noise across the entire sensitivity band uses Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) quantum entanglement. This approach involves injecting two entangled squeezed beams at different frequencies into the dark port of the interferometer, enabling it to act as both a filter cavity and a gravitational wave detector. The Suspended Interferometer for Ponderomotive Squeezing (SIPS) adopts a large-scale GW detector layout, with a Michelson configuration and Fabry-Perot arm cavities. This system was initially thought to generate FDS in the GW frequency band using the ponderomotive technique. To enhance stability, a precise local control system was developed for the main optics of SIPS, which are suspended in a double pendulum configuration with monolithic fibers to reduce thermal noise. Advanced PXI-based data acquisition and position-sensitive detectors (PSDs) monitor angular and linear displacements, while real-time signal processing in LabVIEW enables corrective actuation, marking a significant step toward improved alignment and noise reduction in GW interferometry. The paper highlights the current status of SIPS, focusing on the local control strategy, underscoring its potential impact on the field.
General relativity predicts the existence of Gravitational Waves (GWs), ripples in spacetime that are now observable to highly sensitive interferometers. However, Quantum Noise (QN) poses a significant challenge for Gravitational Wave (GW) interferometers, influencing the entire bandwidth range (10-10,000 Hz) of the current GW detectors. At higher frequencies, Shot Noise (SN) predominates, while at lower frequencies, Radiation Pressure Noise (RPN) becomes the limiting factor, reducing both sensitivity and measurement precision. Squeezing techniques are implemented to address this issue by confining uncertainty within one quadrature of the light field. During O4, LIGO successfully implemented Frequency-Dependent Squeezing (FDS), while Virgo integrated and commissioned the FDS system without actively operating it during the science run. By employing a 300-meterlong detuned Filter Cavity (FC), the squeezing ellipse is rotated, allowing phase squeezing at high frequencies to reduce and amplitude squeezing at low frequencies to mitigate RPN, ultimately refining detection capabilities across the frequency spectrum. This doctoral thesis focuses on a promising alternative technique for future GW detectors, that achieves broadband QN reduction by exploiting Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen (EPR) quantum entanglement. This approach involves injecting two entangled, squeezed beams at different frequencies into the dark port of the interferometer, enabling it to act as both a FC and a GW detector. To experimentally investigate these techniques, the suspended Interferometer for Ponderomotive Squeezing (SIPS) platform adopts a large-scale GW detector layout featuring a Michelson configuration with Fabry-Perot (FP) arm cavities. To guarantee the extreme optical alignment necessary for quantum noise mitigation, a high-precision, real-time local control system was developed for the SIPS main optics. Using a dummy mirror suspended in a double-pendulum configuration with monolithic fibers, a custom real-time signal processing and feedback control architecture was developed. This subsystem utilizes a PXI hardware framework and position-sensitive detectors (Power Spectral Densitys (PSDs)) implemented in LabVIEW to actively damp the mechanical resonances of the suspensions. Extending these core activities toward future infrastructures, this work directly contributed to the realization and commissioning of the new PNRR ETIC-GALILEO quantum optics cleanroom facility in Genoa for the Einstein Telescope (ET). Within this infrastructure, preliminary optical studies were initiated for Einstein Telescope Low Frequency (ET-LF) low-loss Faraday isolators operating at 1550 nm. Concurrently, numerical simulations were performed using Finesse3 to model and investigate candidate excess noise sources currently limiting the sensitivity of Advanced Virgo Plus
Broadband quantum noise reduction can be achieved in gravitational-wave detectors by injecting frequency-dependent squeezed light into the dark port of the interferometer. This frequency-dependent squeezing can be generated by combining squeezed light with external filter cavities. However, in future long baseline interferometers (LBIs), the filter cavity required to achieve the broadband squeezing has a low bandwidth---necessitating a very long cavity to mitigate the issue from optical loss. It has been shown recently that by taking advantage of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) entanglement in the squeezed light source, the interferometer can simultaneously act as a detector and a filter cavity. This is an attractive broadband squeezing scheme for LBIs because the length requirement for the filter cavity is naturally satisfied by the length of the interferometer arms. In this paper we present a systematic way of finding the working points for this broadband squeezing scheme in LBIs. We also show that in LBIs, the EPR scheme achieves nearly perfect ellipse rotation as compared to 4-km interferometers which have appreciable error around the intermediate frequency. Finally, we show that an approximation for the optomechanical coupling constant in the 4-km case can break down for longer baselines. These results are applicable to future detectors such as the 10-km Einstein Telescope and the 40-km Cosmic Explorer.
The quantum noise in gravitational-wave detectors can be suppressed in a broadband by frequency-dependent squeezing. It usually requires one large scale filter cavity and even two, for example in the low frequency detector of Einstein Telescope, which is a detuned dual recycling Fabry-Perot Michelson interferometer. In this paper, we study the feasibility of replacing two filter cavities with a coupled-cavity, aiming to reduce the optical losses with less number of optics. It turns out this approach is only theoretically valid, however, the required parameters of the optics do not support practical implementation, which is consistent with the results in Jones [Implications of the quantum noise target for the Einstein Telescope infrastructure design, ]. Furthermore, we investigate the viability of utilizing Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) squeezing to eliminate either one or two filter cavities in the Einstein Telescope. It turns out EPR squeezing would allow us to eliminate one filter cavity, and can potentially improve the detector sensitivity with the allowance of higher input squeezing level, benefiting from the longer length of the arm cavity which serves as one of the filter cavities for frequency-dependent squeezing. Published by the American Physical Society 2024