Detecting gravitational wave background with equivalent configurations in the network of space based optical lattice clocks

Abstract: The network of space based optical lattice clocks (OLCs) has been proposed to detect the stochastic gravitational wave background. We investigate the overlap reduction function (ORF) of the OLC detector network and analytically derive a transformation that leaves the ORF invariant. This transformation is applicable to configurations with two OLC detectors, each equipped with a one-way link. It can map a configuration with small separation and high noise correlation to another configuration with larger separation and reduced noise correlation. Using this transformation, we obtain a favourable OLC detector network configuration with high cross-correlation response, and compare its sensitivity to that of space-based laser interferometer gravitational wave detectors.