Arm locking performance with the new LISA design

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the performance of arm locking in the new LISA design, showing its potential to significantly reduce laser frequency noise and improve gravitational wave detection sensitivity.

Contribution

It provides an updated performance model for arm locking tailored to the new LISA configuration with 2.5 Gm arms and current noise assumptions.

Findings

Arm locking can reduce laser frequency noise by several orders of magnitude.

Updated Doppler frequency pulling estimates improve lock acquisition strategies.

Performance modeling confirms arm locking's effectiveness for the new LISA design.

Abstract

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a future space-based gravitational wave (GW) detector designed to be sensitive to sources radiating in the low frequency regime (0.1 mHz to 1 Hz). LISA's interferometer signals will be dominated by laser frequency noise which has to be suppressed by about 7 orders of magnitude using an algorithm called Time-Delay Interferometry (TDI). Arm locking has been proposed to reduce the laser frequency noise by a few orders of magnitude to reduce the potential risks associated with TDI. In this paper, we present an updated performance model for arm locking for the new LISA mission using 2.5 Gm arm lengths, the currently assumed clock noise, spacecraft motion, and shot noise. We also update the Doppler frequency pulling estimates during lock acquisition.