Geometric noise spectrum in interferometers
Abstract
We study the power spectral density of time delay fluctuations in an interferometer as a potential low-energy quantum gravitational observable. We derive a general expression for the spectrum in terms of the Wightman function of linear metric perturbations, which we then apply to a variety of cases. We analyze the intrinsic graviton fluctuations in the vacuum, thermal, and squeezed states, as well as the fluctuations induced by the vacuum stress-energy of a massless scalar field. We find that the resulting spectra are free of ultraviolet divergences and that, while thermal and squeezed states provide a natural amplification mechanism, the spectra remain suppressed by the Planck scale.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories
Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
Relativity and Gravitational Theory
Publication details
- Journal / source
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Publication date
- 25 January 2026
- Document type
- Preprint