Proof-of-Principle Experiment on a Displacement-Noise-Free Neutron Interferometer for Gravitational Wave Detection

TL;DR

This paper reports the first successful demonstration of a neutron displacement-noise-free interferometer designed for gravitational wave detection, overcoming previous limitations and introducing novel analysis techniques.

Contribution

It presents the first experimental proof-of-principle of a neutron DFI, showing noise cancellation and GW signal preservation in a practical setup.

Findings

Successful noise cancellation in neutron interferometer

Preservation of simulated GW signals

First demonstration of neutron DFI for GW detection

Abstract

The displacement-noise-free interferometer (DFI) is designed to eliminate all displacement-induced noise while retaining sensitivity to gravitational wave (GW) signals. Ground-based DFIs suffer from physical arm-length limitations, resulting in poor sensitivity at frequencies below 1 kHz. To address this, previous research introduced a neutron-based DFI, which replaces laser light with neutrons and achieves exceptional sensitivity down to a few hertz. In this study, we conducted a proof-of-principle experiment using a pulsed neutron source at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J- PARC). Despite practical constraints that led to deviations from the ideal experimental design, we optimized the setup and developed a novel analysis method that successfully cancels displacement noise while preserving simulated GW signals. This work presents the first successful demonstration of a neutron DFI and a neutron interferometer for GW detection.