Compact Michelson Interferometers with Subpicometer Sensitivity

The network of interferometric gravitational-wave observatories has successfully detected tens of astrophysical signals since 2015. In this paper, we experimentally investigate compact sensors that have the potential to improve the sensitivity of gravitational-wave detectors to intermediate-mass black holes. We use only commercial components, such as sensing heads and lasers, to assemble the setup and demonstrate its subpicometer precision. The setup consists of a pair of Michelson interferometers that use deep frequency modulation techniques to obtain a linear, relative displacement readout over multiple interference fringes. We implement a laser-frequency stabilization scheme to achieve a sensitivity of 0.3 pm/√Hz above 0.1 Hz. The device has also the potential to improve other experiments, such as torsion balances and commercial seismometers.