The response of laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors beyond the eikonal equation

Author(s)
Thomas B Mieling
Abstract

The response of Michelson interferometers to weak plane gravitational waves is computed at one order of accuracy beyond the eikonal equation. The modulation of the electromagnetic field amplitude and polarisation are taken into account by solving the transport equations of geometrical optics with boundary conditions adapted to laser interferometry. Considering both DC and balanced homodyne readout schemes, explicit formulae for the interferometer output signals are derived. These signals comprise perturbations of the optical path length, frequency and amplitude, and are shown to be insensitive to polarisation perturbations.

Organisation(s)
Gravitational Physics, Research Network Quantum Aspects of Space Time
Journal
Classical and Quantum Gravity
Volume
38
No. of pages
34
ISSN
0264-9381
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6382/ac15db
Publication date
09-2021
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103036 Theoretical physics, 103028 Theory of relativity, 103021 Optics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Physics and Astronomy(all)
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/the-response-of-laser-interferometric-gravitational-wave-detectors-beyond-the-eikonal-equation(14814761-13c2-42ee-83b2-4c9c85d601f0).html