Quantum Enhancement of the Zero-Area Sagnac Interferometer Topology for Gravitational Wave Detection
- 22 June 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review Letters
- Vol. 104 (25), 251102
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.104.251102
Abstract
Only a few years ago, it was realized that the zero-area Sagnac interferometer topology is able to perform quantum nondemolition measurements of position changes of a mechanical oscillator. Here, we experimentally show that such an interferometer can also be efficiently enhanced by squeezed light. We achieved a nonclassical sensitivity improvement of up to 8.2 dB, limited by optical loss inside our interferometer. Measurements performed directly on our squeezed-light laser output revealed squeezing of 12.7 dB. We show that the sensitivity of a squeezed-light enhanced Sagnac interferometer can surpass the standard quantum limit for a broad spectrum of signal frequencies without the need for filter cavities as required for Michelson interferometers. The Sagnac topology is therefore a powerful option for future gravitational-wave detectors, such as the Einstein Telescope, whose design is currently being studied. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.251102 Received 26 February 2010Published 22 June 2010© 2010 The American Physical SocietyKeywords
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