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 blackhole binaries, the corresponding detection rate is estimated to be 1-20 events per year, with a 'table top' cavity of a few metres length.