Speaker
Description
Over
the past two decades, nanomechanical membrane resonators have emerged as a
versatile platform for quantum motion experiments and ultra-low-noise sensing.
Recent advances in their performance have brought them close to sensitivity levels
that promise significant contributions to the search for new fundamental physics.
This presentation will provide a brief overview of membrane resonators and
introduce a novel concept for a membrane-based high-frequency gravitational
wave detector. The proposed instrument leverages the technique of optically
trapping a membrane within an optical cavity. Finally, I will discuss the potential for
achieving sensitivities compatible with detecting signals originating from neutron
star mergers in the kHz range, as well as from predicted phenomena such as axion
superradiance of astrophysical black holes in our galaxy, reaching into the tens of
kHz.
