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Atomic clocks in space could detect gravitational waves

Clocks in space: narrowband gravitational-wave detector could take off. A proposal for a gravitational-wave detector made of two space-based atomic clocks has been unveiled by physicists in the US. The scheme involves placing two atomic clocks in different locations around the Sun and using them to measure tiny shifts in the frequency of a laser beam shone from one clock to the other. The designers claim that the detector will complement the LISA space-based gravitational-wave detector, which is expected to launch in 2034.

太空中的原子钟可以探测到引力波

太空中的时钟：窄带引力波探测器可能会大展宏图。美国物理学家公布了一个由两个太空原子钟组成的引力波探测器的方案。该方案包括在太阳周围的不同位置放置两个原子钟来测量从一个时钟向另一个时钟发出的激光束频率的微小变化。设计人员称，该探测器将增强预计2034年发射的激光干涉空间天线（LISA）：天基引力波探测器。

Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time that are created when masses are accelerated. In February of this year, the LIGO collaboration announced the first-ever direct detection of gravitational waves – from the merger of two black holes – using a pair of kilometer -sized interferometers in the US. Just last week, a second detection was announced by LIGO from a different black-hole merger.

引力波是时空结构中质量加速时产生的波纹。今年2月，美国激光干涉引力波天文台（LIGO）合作组织宣布，在美国使用一对千米大小的干涉仪首次直接探测两个黑洞合并产生的引力波。就在上周，LIGO宣布再次探测到另一次黑洞合并产生的引力波。

Now, Shimon Kolkowitz and Jun Ye of JILA in Colorado have joined forces with Mikhail Lukin and colleagues at Harvard University to come up with a proposal for detecting gravitational waves using two space-based atomic clocks. Each device would be an optical-lattice atomic clock, which is an extremely precise timekeeper that uses the frequency of an atomic transition to measure time. The atoms are trapped within a 1D optical lattice that is a standing wave created by reflecting laser light from a mirror. This is a very effective way of shielding the atoms from external noise that can degrade clock performance.

目前，科罗拉多州天体物理联合研究所（JILA）的Shimon Kolkowitz和Jun Ye与哈佛大学的Mikhail Lukin及其同事正在通力合作。他们提出利用两个太空原子钟探测引力波的方案。两个装置都是光学晶格原子钟。这是一种非常精确的计时器，利用原子跃迁频率来测

量时间。原子困于一维光学晶格中，这种晶格是由镜子反射激光产生的驻波。这是一个非常有效的方法，屏蔽了原子外部噪声，从而确保了原子钟的性能。（这种方法可以有效屏蔽原子外部噪声，从而确保原子钟的性能）