The noise of gravitons
Maulik Parikh, Frank Wilczek, George Zahariade
Abstract
We show that when the gravitational field is treated quantum-mechanically, it induces fluctuations — noise — in the lengths of the arms of gravitational wave detectors. The characteristics of the noise depend on the quantum state of the gravitational field and can be calculated exactly in several interesting cases. For coherent states, the noise is very small, but it can be greatly enhanced in thermal and (especially) squeezed states. Detection of this fundamental noise would constitute direct evidence for the quantization of gravity and the existence of gravitons.
Topics & Concepts
PhysicsGravitonGravitational waveNoise (video)Gravitational fieldQuantization (signal processing)Quantum noiseQuantum electrodynamicsField (mathematics)GravitationQuantum mechanicsClassical mechanicsSqueezed coherent stateQuantumQuantum opticsThermalQuantum gravityNonclassical lightBackground noiseQuantum fluctuationNoise spectrumPhotonGravitational-wave observatoryQuantum field theoryThermal stateShot noiseNoise floorJohnson–Nyquist noisePulsars and Gravitational Waves ResearchQuantum Mechanics and ApplicationsQuantum and Classical Electrodynamics