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arXiv:1404.3994 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Digital atom interferometer with single particle control on a discretized space-time geometry

Andreas Steffen, Andrea Alberti, Wolfgang Alt, Noomen Belmechri, Sebastian J. Hild, Michał Karski, Artur Widera, Dieter Meschede

Published Jun 4, 2012• 51 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Engineering quantum particle systems, such as quantum simulators and quantum cellular automata, relies on full coherent control of quantum paths at the single particle level. Here we present an atom interferometer operating with single trapped atoms, where single particle wave packets are controlled through spin-dependent potentials. The interferometer is constructed from a sequence of discrete operations based on a set of elementary building blocks, which permit composing arbitrary interferometer geometries in a digital manner. We use this modularity to devise a space-time analogue of the well-known spin echo technique, yielding insight into decoherence mechanisms. We also demonstrate mesoscopic delocalization of single atoms with a separation-to-localization ratio exceeding 500; this result suggests their utilization beyond quantum logic applications as nano-resolution quantum probes in precision measurements, being able to measure potential gradients with precision 5 x 10(-4) in units of gravitational acceleration g.

DOI
10.1073/pnas.1204285109

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Engineering quantum particle systems, such as quantum simulators and quantum cellular automata, relies on full coherent control of quantum paths at the single particle level. Here we present an atom interferometer operating with single trapped atoms, where single particle wave packets are controlled through spin-dependent potentials. The interferometer is constructed from a sequence of discrete operations based on a set of elementary building blocks, which permit composing arbitrary interferometer geometries in a digital manner. We use this modularity to devise a space-time analogue of the well-known spin echo technique, yielding insight into decoherence mechanisms. We also demonstrate mesoscopic delocalization of single atoms with a separation-to-localization ratio exceeding 500; this result suggests their utilization beyond quantum logic applications as nano-resolution quantum probes in precision measurements, being able to measure potential gradients with precision 5 x 10(-4) in units of gravitational acceleration g.
We observe matter wave interference of a single cesium atom in free fall. The interferometer is an absolute sensor of acceleration and we show that this technique is sensitive to forces at the level of 3.2×10(-27) N with a spatial resolution at the micron scale. We observe the build up of the interference pattern one atom at a time in a free-space interferometer where the mean path separation extends far beyond the coherence length of the atom. Using the coherence length of the atom wave packet as a metric, we directly probe the velocity distribution and measure the temperature of a single atom in free fall.
We observe matterwave interference of a single cesium atom in free fall.The interferometer is an absolute sensor of acceleration and we show that this technique is sensitive to forces at the level of 3.2 × 10 -27 Newtons with a spatial resolution at the micron scale.We observe the build up of the interference pattern one atom at a time in an interferometer where the mean path separation extends far beyond the coherence length of the atom.Using the coherence length of the atom wavepacket as a metric, we directly probe the velocity distribution and measure the temperature in 1-D of a single atom in free fall.
Atom interferometers are quantum mechanical devices sensitive to gravitational and inertial forces, with applications in fundamental physics and inertial sensing in the field. Their performance is currently limited by the interrogation time available to freely falling atoms in Earth’s gravitational field, as well as noise due to mechanical and acoustic vibrations. Our experiment probes gravitational potentials by holding, rather than dropping, atoms. We realize an interrogation time of 20 seconds by suspending the spatially separated atomic wave packets in an optical lattice. This record coherence is enabled by the smooth lattice wave fronts, which are mode-filtered by an optical cavity. This trapped geometry suppresses phase variance due to vibrations by three to four orders of magnitude, overcoming the dominant noise source in atom-interferometric gravimeters. The later part of the talk describes recent progress in characterizing and reducing dephasing of the interferometer. An upgraded optical lattice interferometer experiment is currently being commissioned, with the goal of increased sensitivity to gravity.
The present work investigates the state-selective transport of single neutral cesium atoms in a one-dimensional optical lattice. It demonstrates experimental applications of this transport, including a single atom interferometer, a quantum walk and controlled two-atom collisions. The atoms are stored one by one in an optical lattice formed by a standing wave dipole trap. Their positions are determined with sub-micrometer precision, while atom pair separations are reliably inferred down to neighboring lattice sites using real-time numerical processing. Using microwave pulses in the presence of a magnetic field gradient, the internal qubit states, encoded in the hyperfine levels of the atoms, can be separately initialized and manipulated. This allows us to perform arbitrary single-qubit operations and prepare arbitrary patterns of atoms in the lattice with single-site precision. Chapter 1 presents the experimental setup for trapping a small number of cesium atoms in a one-dimensional optical lattice. Chapter 2 is devoted to fluorescence imaging of atoms, discussing the imaging setup, numeric methods and their performance in detail. Chapter 3 focuses on engineering of internal states of trapped atoms in the lattice using optical methods and microwave radiation. It provides a detailed investigation of coherence properties of our experimental system. Finally manipulation of individual atoms with almost single-site resolution and preparation of regular strings of atoms with predefined distances are presented. In Chapter 4, basic concepts, the experimental realization and the performance of the state-selective transport of neutral atoms over several lattice sites are presented and discussed in detail. Coherence properties of this transport are investigated in Chapter 5, using various two-arms single atom interferometer sequences in which atomic matter waves are split, delocalized, merged and recombined on the initial lattice site, while the interference contrast and the accumulated phase difference are measured. By delocalizing a single atom over several lattice sites, possible spatial inhomogeneities of fields along the lattice axis in the trapping region are probed. In Chapter 6, experimental realization of a discrete time quantum walk on a line with single optically trapped atoms is presented as an advanced application of multiple path quantum interference in the context of quantum information processing. Using this simple example of a quantum walk, fundamental properties of and differences between the quantum and classical regimes are investigated and discussed in detail. Finally, by combining preparation of atom strings, position-dependent manipulation of qubit states and state-selective transport, in Chapter 7, two atoms are deterministically brought together into contact, forming a starting point for investigating two-atom interactions on the most fundamental level. Future prospects and suggestions are finally presented in Chapter 8.
Abstract The coherent manipulation of a quantum wave is at the core of quantum sensing. For instance, atom interferometers require linear splitting and recombination processes to map the accumulated phase shift into a measurable population signal. Although Bose Einstein condensates (BECs) are the archetype of coherent matter waves, their manipulation between trapped spatial modes has been limited by the strong interparticle collisions. Here, we overcome this problem by using BECs with tunable interaction trapped in an innovative array of double-well potentials and exploiting quantum tunneling to realize linear beam splitting. We operate several Mach-Zehnder interferometers in parallel, canceling common-mode potential instabilities by a differential analysis, thus demonstrating a trapped-atom gradiometer. Furthermore, by applying a spin-echo protocol, we suppress additional decoherence sources and approach unprecedented coherence times of one second. Our interferometer will find applications in precision measurements of forces with a high spatial resolution and in linear manipulation of quantum entangled states for sensing with sub shot-noise sensitivity.
Particle-wave duality enables the construction of interferometers for matter waves, which complement optical interferometers in precision measurement devices. This requires the development of atom-optics analogues to beam splitters, phase shifters and recombiners. Integrating these elements into a single device has been a long-standing goal. Here we demonstrate a full Mach–Zehnder sequence with trapped Bose–Einstein condensates confined on an atom chip. Particle interactions in our Bose–Einstein condensate matter waves lead to a nonlinearity, absent in photon optics. We exploit it to generate a non-classical state having reduced number fluctuations inside the interferometer. Making use of spatially separated wave packets, a controlled phase shift is applied and read out by a non-adiabatic matter-wave recombiner. We demonstrate coherence times a factor of three beyond what is expected for coherent states, highlighting the potential of entanglement as a resource for metrology. Our results pave the way for integrated quantum-enhanced matter-wave sensors. Atom interferometers exploit wave-particle duality and can be used as sensitive measurement devices. Berrada et al.present a Mach–Zehnder interferometer for Bose–Einstein condensates trapped on an atom chip and demonstrate enhanced performance using non-classical states.