China's Taiji Program Achieves Picometer-Level Breakthrough in Space-Based Gravitational Wave Detection

A Chinese research team at the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, achieved a key breakthrough in the Taiji space-based gravitational wave detection program. They designed and built a full-function interferometer optical bench with picometer-level measurement accuracy, detecting variations equivalent to 1/10,000th of a human hair diameter. The equipment's noise level was greatly reduced and measurement stability enhanced tenfold, meeting requirements for the Taiji-2 mission. The findings were published in the journal Research. The Taiji-1 satellite, launched in 2019, continues to perform well. The CAS has a three-step strategy for the Taiji program, which aims to detect gravitational waves from space.