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

作　　者：Bo Wang Bichu Li Qianqian Xiao Geyu Mo Yi-Fu Cai 

机构地区：[1]Department of Astronomy,School of Physical Sciences,University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei,230026,China [2]CAS Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology,School of Astronomy and Space Science,University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei,230026,China [3]Deep Space Exploration Laboratory,Hefei,230088,China

出　　处：《Science China(Physics,Mechanics & Astronomy)》2025年第4期244-252,共9页中国科学:物理学、力学、天文学(英文版)

基　　金：supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant Nos.2024YFC2207500 and 2021YFC2203100);the CAS Young Interdisciplinary Innovation Team(Grant No.JCTD-2022-20);the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities;the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.92476203,12433002 and12261131497);the 111 Project(Grant No.B23042);the CSC Innovation Talent Funds;the USTC Fellowships for International Cooperation;the USTC Research Funds of the Double First-Class Initiative。

摘　　要：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 crosscorrelation 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.

关 键 词：gravitational wave detectors optical lattice clocks stochastic gravitational background 

分 类 号：P142.84[天文地球—天体物理]