Measurement of the Newtonian constant of gravitation G by precision displacement sensors

Abstract

The Newtonian constant of gravitation G historically has the largest relative uncertainty over all other fundamental constants with some discrepancies in values between different measurements. We propose a new scheme to measure G by detecting the position of a test mass in a precision displacement sensor induced by a force modulation from periodically rotating source masses. To seek different kinds of experimental setups, laser interferometers for the gravitational wave detection and optically-levitated microspheres are analyzed. The high sensitivity of the gravitational wave detectors to the displacement is advantageous to have a high signal-to-noise ratio of 10−6 with a few hours of the measurement time, whereas the tunability of parameters in optically-levitated microspheres can enable competitive measurements with a smaller scale setup dedicated to the G measurement. To achieve an accuracy of G better than currently available measurements, developments in force calibration is essential. These measurements can provide an alternative method to measure G precisely, potentially leading to the improvement in the accuracy of G, as well as a better search for non-Newtonian gravity at a length scale of ∼1 m.