Detection of high-frequency gravitational waves using high-energy pulsed lasers

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel method to detect high-frequency gravitational waves using high-energy pulsed lasers and the inverse Gertsenshtein effect, enabling exploration of previously inaccessible frequency ranges.

Contribution

The paper proposes a new detection technique leveraging laser interactions with gravitational waves, expanding the frequency and strain sensitivity range for high-frequency GW detection.

Findings

Resonance occurs when GW frequency is twice the laser frequency.

Detectable strain sensitivity is $h \\gtrsim 10^{-20}$ with current lasers.

Future lasers could reach strain sensitivities of $h \\gtrsim 10^{-26}$.

Abstract

We propose a new method for detecting high-frequency gravitational waves (GWs) using high-energy pulsed lasers. Through the inverse Gertsenshtein effect, the interaction between a GW and the laser beam results in the creation of an electromagnetic signal. The latter can be detected using single-photon counting techniques. We compute the minimal strain of a detectable GW which only depends on the laser parameters. We find that a resonance occurs in this process when the frequency of the GW is twice the frequency of the laser. With this method, the frequency range $10^{13}-10^{19} $ Hz is explored non-continuously for strains $h \gtrsim 10^{-20}$ for current laser systems and can be extended to $h \gtrsim 10^{-26}$ with future generation facilities.