Low-Frequency Noise Mitigation and Bandgap Engineering using Seismic Metamaterials for Terrestrial Gravitational Wave Observatories

TL;DR

This paper proposes using seismic metamaterials to engineer bandgaps that mitigate low-frequency seismic noise, enhancing the sensitivity of ground-based gravitational wave detectors like KAGRA.

Contribution

It introduces a novel framework applying metamaterial-based bandgap engineering to reduce seismic noise in gravitational wave observatories.

Findings

Demonstrates potential for seismic noise reduction using metamaterials

Provides a new approach for improving gravitational wave detection sensitivity

Suggests practical implementation for KAGRA observatory

Abstract

Gravitational-wave now became one of the important observational methods for studying the Universe since its first detection. However, the ground-based observatories have an inherent barrier to their detection frequency band due to the seismic and gravity gradient noises nearby the perturbation of the surroundings. A recent intriguing development of artificial structures for media called metamaterial is opening a new branch of wave mechanics and its application in various fields, in particular, suggesting a novel way of mitigating noises by controlling the media structure for propagating waves. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for handling noises in ground-based gravitational wave detectors by using wave mechanics under metamaterial media. Specifically, we suggest an application of the bandgap engineering technique for mitigating the underground effects of acoustic noises resulting from the seismic vibration in the KAGRA gravitational wave observatory.