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Updated: Jun 28, 2025
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Implementation of a Reference Interferometer for Nanodetection
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Absolute Ranging with Time Delay Interferometry for Space-Borne Gravitational Wave Detection
Dan Luo1, Mingyang Xu1, Panpan Wang1
1MOE Key Laboratory of Fundamental Physical Quantities Measurement, Hubei Key Laboratory of Gravitation and Quantum Physics, PGMF, School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 13, 2024
Summary
Future space-borne gravitational wave detectors need precise inter-satellite ranging. This study demonstrates a novel ranging strategy using arm-locking and time delay interferometry (TDI) for meter-level precision, crucial for noise reduction.
Area of Science:
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Optical Physics
- Metrology
Background:
- Space-borne gravitational wave (GW) detectors require precise inter-satellite ranging for Time Delay Interferometry (TDI) noise reduction.
- Existing ranging methods may lack the necessary precision for advanced TDI applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a robust strategy for absolute inter-satellite distance measurement.
- To achieve meter-level precision required for TDI in future GW observatories.
Main Methods:
- Coarse distance determination using arm-locking ranging with a large non-ambiguity range.
- Precise distance measurement via TDI ranging by minimizing residual noise power.
- Numerical simulations and experimental verification using a fiber link.
Main Results:
- Numerical simulations achieved millimeter-level precision in distance measurements.
- Experimental verification demonstrated distance measurements with better than 0.05 m uncertainty.
- The proposed method satisfies the precision requirements for TDI.
Conclusions:
- The combined arm-locking and TDI ranging strategy is effective for precise inter-satellite distance measurement.
- This technique is vital for enabling advanced noise reduction in space-borne GW detectors.
- The demonstrated precision meets the stringent demands of future gravitational wave missions.
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