Optical detection development for the Hogan quantum holographic noise experiment

Abstract

Craig Hogan recently proposed a "quantum holographic" noise that could potentially raise the expected noise floor for some current and upcoming high precision interferometers. Rainer Weiss et al. have designed an experiment searching for the noise in two coaligned Michelson interferometers. We have assembled and tested a photodetection system to measure broadband phase correlation between two optical signals, to be used in the noise detection experiment. This included modifying and characterizing photodetectors and setting up a system to record the signal correlation between the two detectors. We altered a LabVIEW program to assist in data collection and explored several ways to improve the data recording rate, which will allow larger data sets and thus longer runs. The detection system had a shot noise limited sensitivity of 4nV/vHz and allowed for measurements at the level of 1 % correlation.