[Paper Review] Optical-Fiber Gravitational Wave Detector: Dynamical 3-Space Turbulence Detected

Reginald T. Cahill|ArXiv.org|Jul 9, 2007

Quantum Mechanics and Applications9 references16 citations

TL;DR

This paper presents a low-cost, compact optical-fiber interferometer that detects gravitational waves as fluctuations in a dynamical 3-space, demonstrating a high signal-to-noise ratio and revealing a pink noise spectrum from 0 to 0.1 Hz. The detector operates by measuring phase shifts in coherently split 650nm light through polarization-maintaining fibers, with data showing persistent wave-like signals distinct from instrumental noise, suggesting turbulence in the 3-space structure.

ABSTRACT

Preliminary results from an optical-fiber gravitational wave interferometric detector are reported. The detector is very small, cheap and simple to build and operate. It is assembled from readily available opto-electronic components. A parts list is given. The detector can operate in two modes: one in which only instrument noise is detected, and data from a 24 hour period is reported for this mode, and in a 2nd mode in which the gravitational waves are detected as well, and data from a 24 hour period is analysed. Comparison shows that the instrument has a high S/N ratio. The frequency spectrum of the gravitational waves shows a pink noise spectrum, from 0 to 0.1Hz.

Motivation & Objective

• To develop a simple, affordable, and portable optical-fiber interferometer capable of detecting gravitational waves via light-speed anisotropy fluctuations.
• To demonstrate that dynamical 3-space turbulence—interpreted as gravitational waves—can be detected using standard opto-electronic components in a non-vacuum environment.
• To provide a replicable design for amateur and undergraduate laboratories to enable independent verification and multi-site correlation studies.
• To characterize the frequency spectrum of detected signals and distinguish them from instrumental noise using Fourier analysis.
• To calibrate the detector’s response using historical data from Michelson-Morley and coaxial cable experiments, enabling approximate speed estimation of 3-space flow.

Proposed method

• The detector uses a 2nd-order interferometer analogous to a Michelson setup, with 1m polarization-preserving optical fibers forming two orthogonal arms.
• Coherent 650nm laser light is split by a 2×2 beam splitter and recombined via a beam joiner; interference fringes are measured by a photodiode and recorded via a digital storage oscilloscope (DSO).
• Two operating modes are used: Mode A (active) connects fibers via x-x and w-w FC-to-FC sleeves to detect both 3-space dynamics and noise; Mode B (background) uses x-w and w-x connections to isolate only instrument noise.
• The system acquires data every 5 seconds over 24 hours, with Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) applied to extract frequency spectra using n = 17,280 samples.
• The FFT is band-pass filtered to isolate frequencies from 0.000116 Hz to 0.034 Hz, reducing instrument noise and enhancing gravitational wave signal visibility.
• Signal analysis compares Mode A and Mode B spectra to confirm a high signal-to-noise ratio, with the pink noise spectrum (0–0.1 Hz) indicating 3-space turbulence.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can a low-cost, compact optical-fiber interferometer detect fluctuations in the speed of light due to dynamical 3-space turbulence?
• RQ2 Is the detected signal spectrum consistent with a pink noise profile, as expected for turbulent 3-space dynamics?
• RQ3 Can the instrument distinguish genuine gravitational wave signals from instrumental noise using dual-mode operation?
• RQ4 What is the temporal and spectral structure of the detected 3-space fluctuations, and how do they compare to historical data from Michelson-Morley and coaxial cable experiments?
• RQ5 Can the detector’s response be calibrated to estimate the projected speed of 3-space flow using known experimental benchmarks?

Key findings

• The detector exhibits a high signal-to-noise ratio, with Mode A showing a distinct pink noise spectrum from 0 to 0.1 Hz, while Mode B displays only mild blue noise, confirming the presence of a real signal beyond instrument noise.
• The frequency spectrum of the detected signal is consistent with a pink noise profile, characteristic of turbulent 3-space dynamics, with no significant power at higher frequencies.
• The 24-hour time-series data reveals complex, wave-like structures in the signal, similar to those observed in prior RF coaxial cable experiments and the Miller experiment.
• After band-pass filtering and inverse FFT, the data shows slow, persistent variations over 24 hours, resembling the sidereal modulation seen in historical experiments.
• The detector’s response was approximately calibrated using Miller’s 1925 data, yielding a projected 3-space flow speed of up to ~417 km/s, consistent with historical observations.
• The detector’s design allows for millisecond acquisition rates and can be extended to a 3D multi-interferometer array to determine directional characteristics of 3-space waves.