ELGAR

a European Laboratory for Gravitation and Atom-interferometric Research

authored by
B. Canuel, S. Abend, P. Amaro-Seoane, F. Badaracco, Q. Beaufils, A. Bertoldi, K. Bongs, P. Bouyer, C. Braxmaier, W. Chaibi, N. Christensen, F. Fitzek, G. Flouris, N. Gaaloul, S. Gaffet, C. L. Garrido Alzar, R. Geiger, S. Guellati-Khelifa, K. Hammerer, J. Harms, J. Hinderer, J. Junca, S. Katsanevas, C. Klempt, C. Kozanitis, M. Krutzik, A. Landragin, I. Làzaro Roche, B. Leykauf, Y. -H. Lien, S. Loriani, S. Merlet, M. Merzougui, M. Nofrarias, P. Papadakos, F. Pereira, A. Peters, D. Plexousakis, M. Prevedelli, E. Rasel, Y. Rogister, S. Rosat, A. Roura, D. O. Sabulsky, V. Schkolnik, D. Schlippert, C. Schubert, L. Sidorenkov, J. -N. Siemß, C. F. Sopuerta, F. Sorrentino, C. Struckmann, G. M. Tino, G. Tsagkatakis, A. Viceré, W. von Klitzing, L. Woerner, X. Zou
Abstract

Gravitational waves (GWs) were observed for the first time in 2015, one century after Einstein predicted their existence. There is now growing interest to extend the detection bandwidth to low frequency. The scientific potential of multi-frequency GW astronomy is enormous as it would enable to obtain a more complete picture of cosmic events and mechanisms. This is a unique and entirely new opportunity for the future of astronomy, the success of which depends upon the decisions being made on existing and new infrastructures. The prospect of combining observations from the future space-based instrument LISA together with third generation ground based detectors will open the way toward multi-band GW astronomy, but will leave the infrasound (0.1-10 Hz) band uncovered. GW detectors based on matter wave interferometry promise to fill such a sensitivity gap. We propose the European Laboratory for Gravitation and Atom-interferometric Research (ELGAR), an underground infrastructure based on the latest progress in atomic physics, to study space-time and gravitation with the primary goal of detecting GWs in the infrasound band. ELGAR will directly inherit from large research facilities now being built in Europe for the study of large scale atom interferometry and will drive new pan-European synergies from top research centers developing quantum sensors. ELGAR will measure GW radiation in the infrasound band with a peak strain sensitivity of 3.3 × 10-22/√Hz at 1.7 Hz. The antenna will have an impact on diverse fundamental and applied research fields beyond GW astronomy, including gravitation, general relativity, and geology.

Organisation(s)
Institute of Quantum Optics
Institute of Theoretical Physics
QuantumFrontiers
CRC 1227 Designed Quantum States of Matter (DQ-mat)
External Organisation(s)
Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
Universite de Bordeaux
Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC)
Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University (KIAA-PKU)
Academy of Mathematics and System Sciences
Technische Universität Berlin
Gran Sasso Science Institute
Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS)
Sorbonne Université
University of Birmingham
University of Bremen
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Observatoire Côte d'Azur
Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas
Universite d'Avignon et des Pays du Vaucluse
College de France
University of Strasbourg
European Gravitational Observatory (EGO)
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
University of Crete
University of Bologna
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)
University of Florence (UniFi)
University of Urbino "Carlo Bo"
Type
Article
Journal
Classical and Quantum Gravity
Volume
37
No. of pages
92
ISSN
0264-9381
Publication date
28.10.2020
Publication status
Published
Peer reviewed
Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)
Electronic version(s)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1911.03701 (Access: Open)
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6382/aba80e (Access: Open)