Author(s) :

Madhav Soni.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

The existence of gravitational waves was predicted by Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. In the modern world, LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) represents the pinnacle of groundbreaking technology. There are 2 LIGO observatories in the United States of America: One in Hanford, Washington, and the other in Livingston, Louisiana. The total estimated cost of LIGO is 1 billion USD. Now, this is a high expense when compared to other observatories; therefore, cost effective techniques like the usage of a table-top Michelson Interferometer need to be introduced. LIGO’s sensitivity is incredibly accurate; however, it is still affected by seismic factors. Therefore, tabletop Michelson Interferometers can be used to identify and limit these factors while also focusing on low-frequency signal detection. By building small-scale Michelson Interferometers, we can conduct different seismic tests and use computational methods to calculate sensitivity (strain noise). Using these interferometers will also help us validate noise reduction techniques that can then be applied to the data LIGO captures. This could then have the potential to improve the current sensitivity of LIGO. This study mentions the different pins of the Raspberry Pi and the sensor. The frequency of 1 provided the most accurate sensitivity. The final strain noise of the table-top Michelson interferometer gives a sensitivity between 10-5 and 10-7. Overall, Michelson Interferometry has the potential to develop current vibration isolation techniques, detect low-frequency signals, and also be used in future missions such as the LISA detector, which aims to detect low-frequency gravitational waves in deep space.