2017/05/30 by G. Lefèvre, G. Condon, Lefevre, G. +33
Physics and Astronomy · #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Advanced Frequency and Time Standards
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1705.10475
We present two projects aiming to probe key aspects of the theory of General Relativity with high-precision quantum sensors. These projects use cold-atom interferometry with the aim of measuring gravitational waves and testing the equivalence principle. To detect gravitational waves, a large multi-sensor demonstrator is currently under construction that will exploit correlations between three atom interferometers spread along a 200 m optical cavity. Similarly, a test of the weak equivalence principle is currently underway using a compact and mobile dual-species interferometer, which will serve as a prototype for future high-precision tests onboard an orbiting satellite. We present recent results and improvements related to both projects.