Gravitational wave detection using electromagnetic modes in a resonance cavity

We present a proposal for a gravitational wave detector, based on the excitation of an electromagnetic mode in a resonance cavity. The mode is excited due to the interaction between a large amplitude electromagnetic mode and a quasi-monochromatic gravitational wave. The minimum metric perturbation needed for detection is estimated to be of the order 7 x 10-23 using current data on superconducting niobium cavities. Using this value together with different standard models predicting the occurrence of merging neutron star or black-hole binaries, the corresponding detection rate is estimated to be 1-20 events per year, with a 'table top' cavity of a few metres length. (letter to the editor)