arXiv subjects

Ohkyung Kwon

Publications and source records attributed to Ohkyung Kwon.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Broadband limits on stochastic length fluctuations from a pair of table-top interferometers

The Quantum-Enhanced Space-Time (QUEST) experiment consists of a pair of co-located Power Recycled Michelson Interferometers, each designed to have a broadband, shot-noise limited displacement sensitivity of $2\times10^{-19}$ $\mathrm{m/\sqrt{Hz}}$ from 1 to 200 MHz. Here we present the first results of QUEST that set new upper limits on correlated length fluctuations from 13 to 80 MHz, constituting the first broadband constraints for a stochastic gravitational wave background at these frequencies. In a coincident observing run of $10^{4}$ s the averaging of the cross-correlation spectra between the two interferometer signals resulted in a strain sensitivity of $3\times10^{-20}$ $\mathrm{1/\sqrt{Hz}}$ at 40 MHz, making QUEST the most sensitive table-top interferometric system to date.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Angular spectrum of quantum fluctuations in causal structure

Scaling arguments are used to constrain the angular spectrum of distortions on boundaries of macroscopic causal diamonds, produced by Planck-scale vacuum fluctuations of causally-coherent quantum gravity. The small-angle spectrum of displacement is derived from a form of scale invariance: the variance and fluctuation rate of distortions normal to the surface of a causal diamond of radius $R$ at transverse physical separation $cτ\ll R$ should depend only on $τ$, with a normalization set by the Planck time $t_P$, and should not depend on $R$. For measurements on scale $R$, the principle leads to universal scaling for variance on angular scale $Θ$, $\langleδτ^2\rangle_Θ\simeqτ\:\!t_p\simΘR\:\!t_P/c$, and angular power spectrum $C_\ell\sim (R\:\!l_P)/\ell^3$ at $\ell\gg1$. This spectrum is consistent with a relational model of holographic noise based on causally coherent virtual null gravitational shocks, a general picture conjectured for all $\ell$. The high $\ell$ scaling is contrasted with that predicted in some other quantum models, which differ by one power of angular wavenumber $\ell$ and are shown to predict excessive blurring of images from distant sources.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Dipole-independent measurements of nearly-zero CMB correlation: a possible symmetry of primordial causal quantum coherence

Anisotropy of space-time is measured on the scale of the cosmic horizon, using the angular correlation function $C(\Theta)$ of cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature at large angular separation $\Theta$. Even-parity correlation $C_{\rm even}(\Theta)$ is introduced to obtain a direct, precise measure of horizon-scale curvature anisotropy independent of the unknown dipole, with uncertainty dominated by models of Galactic emission. In maps from WMAP and Planck, $C_{\rm even}(\Theta)$ at $\Theta\simeq 90^\circ\pm 15^\circ$ is found to be much closer to zero than in previously documented measurements. Variation from zero as small as that in the {\sl Planck} maps is estimated to occur by chance in a fraction $\simeq 10^{-4.3}$ to $\simeq 10^{-2.8}$ of standard realizations. Measurements are found to be consistent with zero correlation in a range of angles expected from quantum fluctuations during inflation whose spacelike coherence is bounded by inflationary horizons around every location at every epoch. This scale-invariant symmetry of cosmological initial conditions is incompatible with the standard quantum theory of initial conditions, but is broadly consistent with other cosmological measurements, and is subject to further tests.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Photon counting for axion interferometry

Axions and axion-like particles are well-motivated dark matter candidates. We propose an experiment that uses single photon detection interferometry to search for axions and axion-like particles in the galactic halo. We show that photon counting with a dark rate of 6E-6 Hz can improve the quantum sensitivity of axion interferometry by a factor of 50 compared to the quantum-enhanced heterodyne readout for 5-m long optical resonators. The proposed experimental method has the potential to be scaled up to kilometer-long facilities, enabling the detection or setting of constraints on the axion-photon coupling coefficient of 1E-17 - 1E-16 GeV-1 for axion masses ranging from 0.1 to 1 neV.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

Phenomenology of Holography via Quantum Coherence on Causal Horizons

There is much recent development towards interferometric measurements of holographic quantum uncertainties in an emergent background space-time. Despite increasing promise for the target detection regime of Planckian strain power spectral density, the foundational insights of the motivating theories have not been connected to a phenomenological model of observables measured in a realistic experiment. This work proposes a candidate model, based on the central hypothesis that all horizons are universal boundaries of coherent quantum information -- where the decoherence of space-time happens for the observer. The prediction is inspired by 't Hooft's algebra for black hole information that gives coherent states on horizons, whose spatial correlations were shown by Verlinde and Zurek to also appear on holographic fluctuations of causal boundaries in flat space-time (conformal Killing horizons). Time-domain correlations are projected from Planckian jitters whose coherence scales match causal diamonds, motivated by Banks' framework for the emergence of space-time and locality. The universality of this coherence on causal horizons compels a multimodal research program probing concordant signatures: An analysis of cosmological data to probe primordial correlations, motivated by Hogan's interpretation of well-known CMB anomalies as coherent fluctuations on the inflationary horizon, and upcoming 3D interferometers to probe causal diamonds in flat space-time. Candidate interferometer geometries are presented, with a modeled frequency spectrum for each design.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Constraints on scalar field dark matter from co-located Michelson interferometers

Low-mass (sub-eV) scalar field dark matter may induce apparent oscillations of fundamental constants, resulting in corresponding oscillations of the size and the index of refraction of solids. Laser interferometers are highly sensitive to changes in the size and index of refraction of the main beamsplitter. Using cross-correlated data of the Fermilab Holometer instrument, which consists of twin co-located 40-m arm length power-recycled interferometers, we investigate the possible existence of scalar field dark matter candidates in the mass range between 1.6$\cdot$10$^{-12}$ eV and 1.0$\cdot$10$^{-7}$ eV. We set new upper limits for the coupling parameters of scalar field dark matter, improving on limits from previous direct searches by up to three orders of magnitude.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Interferometric Constraints on Spacelike Coherent Rotational Fluctuations

Precision measurements are reported of the cross-spectrum of rotationally-induced differential position displacements in a pair of colocated 39 m long, high power Michelson interferometers. One arm of each interferometer is bent $90^{\circ}$ near its midpoint to obtain sensitivity to rotations about an axis normal to the plane of the instrument. The instrument achieves quantum-limited sensing of spatially-correlated signals in a broad frequency band extending beyond the 3.9 MHz inverse light travel time of the apparatus. For stationary signals with bandwidth $Δf > 10\;\mathrm{kHz}$, the sensitivity to rotation-induced strain $h$ of classical or exotic origin surpasses $\mathrm{CSD}_{δh} < t_P / 2$, where $t_P = 5.39 \times 10^{-44}\;\mathrm{s}$ is the Planck time. This measurement is used to constrain a semiclassical model of nonlocally coherent rotational degrees of freedom of spacetime, which have been conjectured to emerge in holographic quantum geometry but are not present in a classical metric.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Models of Exotic Interferometer Cross-Correlations in Emergent Space-Time

A Lorentz invariant framework is developed to model the cross spectrum of two interferometers in a space-time that emerges from a Planck scale quantum system with exact causal symmetry and holographic spacelike rotational correlations. Space-time relationships between world lines are generated by entanglement of geometrical states on causal diamonds. The entanglement is tied to a unique observable signature: an exotic imaginary broad band cross spectrum, with a frequency structure determined by the layout of the interferometers. The models will be used to interpret data from the reconfigured Fermilab Holometer, and for conceptual design of future experiments.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Interferometric Constraints on Quantum Geometrical Shear Noise Correlations

Final measurements and analysis are reported from the first-generation Holometer, the first instrument capable of measuring correlated variations in space-time position at strain noise power spectral densities smaller than a Planck time. The apparatus consists of two co-located, but independent and isolated, 40 m power-recycled Michelson interferometers, whose outputs are cross-correlated to 25 MHz. The data are sensitive to correlations of differential position across the apparatus over a broad band of frequencies up to and exceeding the inverse light crossing time, 7.6 MHz. By measuring with Planck precision the correlation of position variations at spacelike separations, the Holometer searches for faint, irreducible correlated position noise backgrounds predicted by some models of quantum space-time geometry. The first-generation optical layout is sensitive to quantum geometrical noise correlations with shear symmetry---those that can be interpreted as a fundamental noncommutativity of space-time position in orthogonal directions. General experimental constraints are placed on parameters of a set of models of spatial shear noise correlations, with a sensitivity that exceeds the Planck-scale holographic information bound on position states by a large factor. This result significantly extends the upper limits placed on models of directional noncommutativity by currently operating gravitational wave observatories.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

MHz Gravitational Wave Constraints with Decameter Michelson Interferometers

A new detector, the Fermilab Holometer, consists of separate yet identical 39-meter Michelson interferometers. Strain sensitivity achieved is better than $10^{-21} /{\sqrt{\rm{Hz}}}$ between 1 to 13 MHz from a 130-hr dataset. This measurement exceeds the sensitivity and frequency range made from previous high frequency gravitational wave experiments by many orders of magnitude. Constraints are placed on a stochastic background at 382 Hz resolution. The 3$σ$ upper limit on $Ω_{\rm{GW}}$, the gravitational wave energy density normalized to the closure density, ranges from $5.6 \times 10^{12}$ at 1 MHz to $8.4 \times 10^{15}$ at 13 MHz. Another result from the same dataset is a search for nearby primordial black hole binaries (PBHB). There are no detectable monochromatic PBHBs in the mass range $0.83$ - $3.5 \times 10^{21}$g between the earth and the moon. Projections for a chirp search with the same dataset increases the mass range to $0.59 - 2.5 \times 10^{25}$g and distances out to Jupiter. This result presents a new method for placing limits on a poorly constrained mass range of primordial black holes. Additionally, solar system searches for PBHBs place limits on their contribution to the total dark matter fraction.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2017

Statistical Model of Exotic Rotational Correlations in Emergent Space-Time

A Lorentz invariant statistical model is presented for rotational fluctuations in the local inertial frame that arise from new quantum degrees of freedom of space-time. The model assumes invariant classical causal structure, and a Planck information density in invariant proper time determined by the world line of an observer. It describes macroscopic spacelike correlations that appear as observable timelike correlations in phase differences of light propagating on paths that begin and end on the same world line. The model allows an exact prediction for the autocorrelation of any interferometer time signal from the shape of the light paths. Specific examples computed for configurations that approximate realistic experiments show that the model can be rigorously tested, allowing a direct experimental probe of Planck scale degrees of freedom.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Statistical Measures of Planck Scale Signal Correlations in Interferometers

A model-independent statistical framework is presented to interpret data from systems where the mean time derivative of positional cross correlation between world lines, a measure of spreading in a quantum geometrical wave function, is measured with a precision smaller than the Planck time. The framework provides a general way to constrain possible departures from perfect independence of classical world lines, associated with Planck scale bounds on positional information. A parametrized candidate set of possible correlation functions is shown to be consistent with the known causal structure of the classical geometry measured by an apparatus, and the holographic scaling of information suggested by gravity. Frequency-domain power spectra are derived that can be compared with interferometer data. Simple projections of sensitivity for specific experimental set-ups suggests that measurements will directly yield constraints on a universal time derivative of the correlation function, and thereby confirm or rule out a class of Planck scale departures from classical geometry.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

The Holometer: An Instrument to Probe Planckian Quantum Geometry

This paper describes the Fermilab Holometer, an instrument for measuring correlations of position variations over a four-dimensional volume of space-time. The apparatus consists of two co-located, but independent and isolated, 40m power-recycled Michelson interferometers, whose outputs are cross-correlated to 25 MHz. The data are sensitive to correlations of differential position across the apparatus over a broad band of frequencies up to and exceeding the inverse light crossing time, 7.6 MHz. A noise model constrained by diagnostic and environmental data distinguishes among physical origins of measured correlations, and is used to verify shot-noise-limited performance. These features allow searches for exotic quantum correlations that depart from classical trajectories at spacelike separations, with a strain noise power spectral density sensitivity smaller than the Planck time. The Holometer in current and future configurations is projected to provide precision tests of a wide class of models of quantum geometry at the Planck scale, beyond those already constrained by currently operating gravitational wave observatories.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

First measurements of high frequency cross-spectra from a pair of large Michelson interferometers

Measurements are reported of the cross-correlation of spectra of differential position signals from the Fermilab Holometer, a pair of co-located 39 m long, high power Michelson interferometers with flat, broadband frequency response in the MHz range. The instrument obtains sensitivity to high frequency correlated signals far exceeding any previous measurement in a broad frequency band extending beyond the 3.8 MHz inverse light crossing time of the apparatus. The dominant but uncorrelated shot noise is averaged down over $2\times 10^8$ independent spectral measurements with 381 Hz frequency resolution to obtain $2.1\times 10^{-20} \ \mathrm{m}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ sensitivity to stationary signals. For signal bandwidths $Δf > 11$ kHz, the sensitivity to strain $h$ or shear power spectral density of classical or exotic origin surpasses a milestone $PSD_{δh} < t_p$ where $t_p= 5.39\times 10^{-44}/\mathrm{Hz}$ is the Planck time.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

Interferometric Tests of Planckian Quantum Geometry Models

The effect of Planck scale quantum geometrical effects on measurements with interferometers is estimated with standard physics, and with a variety of proposed extensions. It is shown that effects are negligible in standard field theory with canonically quantized gravity. Statistical noise levels are estimated in a variety of proposals for non-standard metric fluctuations, and these alternatives are constrained using upper bounds on stochastic metric fluctuations from LIGO. Idealized models of several interferometer system architectures are used to predict signal noise spectra in a quantum geometry that cannot be described by a fluctuating metric, in which position noise arises from holographic bounds on directional information. Predictions in this case are shown to be close to current and projected experimental bounds.

gr-qc↗