KWISP: An ultra-sensitive force sensor for the Dark Energy sector

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• 作者：M. Karuza^a ; ^b ; G. Cantatore^c ; ^b ; ^{giovanni.cantatore@ts.infn.it" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; A. Gardikiotis^d ; D.H.H. Hoffmann^e ; Y.K. Semertzidis^f ; K. Zioutas^d ; ^g
• 关键词：Opto-mechanical sensor ; Chameleons ; Dark Energy ; Fabry&ndash ; Perot interferometer
• 刊名：Physics of the Dark Universe
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：June 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：12
• 期：Complete
• 页码：100-104
• 全文大小：1763 K

文摘

An ultra-sensitive opto-mechanical force sensor has been built and tested in the optics laboratory at INFN Trieste. Its application to experiments in the Dark Energy sector, such as those for Chameleon-type WISPs, is particularly attractive, as it enables a search for their direct coupling to matter. We present here the main characteristics and the absolute force calibration of the KWISP (Kinetic WISP detection) sensor. It is based on a thin Si₃N₄ micro-membrane placed inside a Fabry–Perot optical cavity. By monitoring the cavity characteristic frequencies it is possible to detect the tiny membrane displacements caused by an applied force. Far from the mechanical resonant frequency of the membrane, the measured force sensitivity is 90c21af5281ebfeca3">$2.0\cdot 10^{-13}\text{N}/\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$, corresponding to a displacement sensitivity of $1.0\cdot 10^{-14}\text{m}/\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$, while near resonance the sensitivity is c318e8a76582ceff3b2b4258ef4fdd0">$6.0\cdot 10^{-14}\text{N}/\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$, reaching the estimated thermal limit, or, in terms of displacement, $3.0\cdot 10^{-15}\text{m}/\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$. These displacement sensitivities are comparable to those that can be achieved by large interferometric gravitational wave detectors.