We demonstrate matter-wave interference in a warm vapor of rubidium atoms.Established approaches to light-pulse atom interferometry rely on laser cooling to concentrate a large ensemble of atoms into a velocity class resonant with the atom optical light pulse.In our experiment, we show that clear interference signals may be obtained without laser cooling.This effect relies on the Doppler selectivity of the atom interferometer resonance.This interferometer may be configured to measure accelerations, and we demonstrate that multiple interferometers may be operated simultaneously by addressing multiple velocity classes.We demonstrate matter-wave interference in a warm vapor of rubidium atoms.Established approaches to light-pulse atom interferometry rely on laser cooling to concentrate a large ensemble of atoms into a velocity class resonant with the atom optical light pulse.In our experiment, we show that clear interference signals may be obtained without laser cooling.This effect relies on the Doppler selectivity of the atom interferometer resonance.This interferometer may be configured to measure accelerations, and we demonstrate that multiple interferometers may be operated simultaneously by addressing multiple velocity classes.

PhysicsApr 17, 20171 citation

Interference of photons from independent hot atoms

Jaromír Mika, Stuti Joshi, Lukáš Lachman +2 more

The coherence of light from independent ensembles of elementary atomic emitters plays a paramount role in diverse areas of modern optics. We demonstrate the interference of photons scattered from independent ensembles of warm atoms in atomic vapor. It relies on the feasibility of the preservation of coherence of light scattered elastically in the forward and backward directions from Doppler-broadened atomic ensembles, such that photons with chaotic photon statistics from two opposite atomic velocity groups contribute to the same detection mode. While the random phase fluctuations of the scattered light caused by a large thermal motion prevent direct observability of the interference in the detected photon rate, the stable frequency difference between photons collected from scattering off counterpropagating laser beams provides strong periodic modulation of the photon coincidence rate with the period given by the detuning of the excitation laser from the atomic resonance. The presented interferometry represents a sensitive and robust methodology for Doppler-free optical atomic and molecular spectroscopy based on photon correlation measurements on scattered light.The coherence of light from independent ensembles of elementary atomic emitters plays a paramount role in diverse areas of modern optics. We demonstrate the interference of photons scattered from independent ensembles of warm atoms in atomic vapor. It relies on the feasibility of the preservation of coherence of light scattered elastically in the forward and backward directions from Doppler-broadened atomic ensembles, such that photons with chaotic photon statistics from two opposite atomic velocity groups contribute to the same detection mode. While the random phase fluctuations of the scattered light caused by a large thermal motion prevent direct observability of the interference in the detected photon rate, the stable frequency difference between photons collected from scattering off counterpropagating laser beams provides strong periodic modulation of the photon coincidence rate with the period given by the detuning of the excitation laser from the atomic resonance. The presented interferometry represents a sensitive and robust methodology for Doppler-free optical atomic and molecular spectroscopy based on photon correlation measurements on scattered light.

arXiv:2409.18651Physical Review ResearchDec 12, 20250 citations

Light pulse atom interferometry at short interrogation times

David L. Butts, Joseph M. Kinast, Brian P. Timmons +1 more

The use of cold atoms in any sensor operating in a dynamic environment requires that the measurement cycle be conducted before the atom cloud escapes the interaction region. Under multiple-g accelerations it is desirable to complete measurements in millisecond time scales, particularly when laser beams are used to interrogate the atoms. In this paper, we demonstrate high-contrast atom interferometry in a vapor cell using stimulated Raman transitions at millisecond interrogation times. Laser-cooled cesium atoms are interrogated with a sequence of three Raman pulses and the interferometer phase is read out in the same region in which the atoms are trapped. Our system achieved over 70% contrast with a Doppler insensitive interferometer and over 30% contrast with a Doppler sensitive interferometer, in an environment normally considered adverse to high-contrast atom interferometry (e.g., no retroreflector stabilization and no magnetic shielding). Demonstration of an inertially sensitive atom interferometer in this environment supports the feasibility of a high-bandwidth inertial sensor using light pulse atom interferometry. Finally, we show that Raman pulse population transfer efficiency in our system is primarily limited by nonuniformity of the Raman laser intensity across the atom cloud.The use of cold atoms in any sensor operating in a dynamic environment requires that the measurement cycle be conducted before the atom cloud escapes the interaction region. Under multiple-g accelerations it is desirable to complete measurements in millisecond time scales, particularly when laser beams are used to interrogate the atoms. In this paper, we demonstrate high-contrast atom interferometry in a vapor cell using stimulated Raman transitions at millisecond interrogation times. Laser-cooled cesium atoms are interrogated with a sequence of three Raman pulses and the interferometer phase is read out in the same region in which the atoms are trapped. Our system achieved over 70% contrast with a Doppler insensitive interferometer and over 30% contrast with a Doppler sensitive interferometer, in an environment normally considered adverse to high-contrast atom interferometry (e.g., no retroreflector stabilization and no magnetic shielding). Demonstration of an inertially sensitive atom interferometer in this environment supports the feasibility of a high-bandwidth inertial sensor using light pulse atom interferometry. Finally, we show that Raman pulse population transfer efficiency in our system is primarily limited by nonuniformity of the Raman laser intensity across the atom cloud.

Journal of the Optical Society of America BFeb 10, 201133 citations

Interferometric Laser Cooling of Atomic Rubidium

Alexander J. Dunning, Rachel Gregory, James Bateman +2 more

We report the 1D cooling of ^{85}Rb atoms using a velocity-dependent optical force based upon Ramsey matter-wave interferometry. Using stimulated Raman transitions between ground hyperfine states, 12 cycles of the interferometer sequence cool a freely moving atom cloud from 21 to 3 μK. This pulsed analog of continuous-wave Doppler cooling is effective at temperatures down to the recoil limit; with augmentation pulses to increase the interferometer area, it should cool more quickly than conventional methods and be more suitable for species that lack a closed radiative transition.We report the 1D cooling of ^{85}Rb atoms using a velocity-dependent optical force based upon Ramsey matter-wave interferometry. Using stimulated Raman transitions between ground hyperfine states, 12 cycles of the interferometer sequence cool a freely moving atom cloud from 21 to 3 μK. This pulsed analog of continuous-wave Doppler cooling is effective at temperatures down to the recoil limit; with augmentation pulses to increase the interferometer area, it should cool more quickly than conventional methods and be more suitable for species that lack a closed radiative transition.

arXiv:1408.6877Physical Review LettersAug 14, 201513 citations

An atom interferometer for measuring horizontal accelerations

Jimmy Stammers

Matter-wave interferometry has enabled high precision measurements of inertial forces such as gravity and the Coriolis force. This is facilitated by the long-term stability of the physical properties of atoms and lasers. Recent experiments have demonstrated the operation of portable, robust sensors using atom interferometry. This has potential uses in the context of inertial navigation, where conventional devices suffer from long-term drifts due to bias instability. Furthermore, determining position via dead reckoning requires minimisation of dead time between measurements. This thesis presents the development of an atom interferometer for measuring horizontal accelerations. In this configuration, gravity induces motion across the laser wavefront, which constrains the tolerable level of wavefront distortions. Effective control of the experiment allows the interferometer to be operated at a rate of 4 Hz. A cold ensemble of 10^6 atoms in the same internal state is prepared in 150 ms. The interferometer operates using a sequence of three laser pulses separated by T= 25 ms to achieve sensitivity to horizontal accelerations. Combining this with a classical accelerometer provides a method of correcting for vibration-induced noise, as well as determining the interferometer fringe order. After an integration time of 40 s, the sensitivity to horizontal accelerations is better than 3^-6 m s^-2. Effects which limit this sensitivity are discussed.Matter-wave interferometry has enabled high precision measurements of inertial forces such as gravity and the Coriolis force. This is facilitated by the long-term stability of the physical properties of atoms and lasers. Recent experiments have demonstrated the operation of portable, robust sensors using atom interferometry. This has potential uses in the context of inertial navigation, where conventional devices suffer from long-term drifts due to bias instability. Furthermore, determining position via dead reckoning requires minimisation of dead time between measurements. This thesis presents the development of an atom interferometer for measuring horizontal accelerations. In this configuration, gravity induces motion across the laser wavefront, which constrains the tolerable level of wavefront distortions. Effective control of the experiment allows the interferometer to be operated at a rate of 4 Hz. A cold ensemble of 10^6 atoms in the same internal state is prepared in 150 ms. The interferometer operates using a sequence of three laser pulses separated by T= 25 ms to achieve sensitivity to horizontal accelerations. Combining this with a classical accelerometer provides a method of correcting for vibration-induced noise, as well as determining the interferometer fringe order. After an integration time of 40 s, the sensitivity to horizontal accelerations is better than 3^-6 m s^-2. Effects which limit this sensitivity are discussed.

Nov 1, 20186 citations

Atom-interferometric studies of light scattering

Scott Beattie, B. Barrett, I. Y. Chan +3 more

We have used an echo-type atom interferometer that manipulates laser-cooled atoms in a single ground state to investigate the effect of light scattering from pulsed and continuous-wave light. The interferometer uses two off-resonant standing-wave pulses applied at times $t=0$ and $t=T$ to diffract and recombine momentum states separated by $2\ensuremath{\hbar}k$ at $t=2T$ . Matter wave interference is associated with the formation of a density grating with period $\ensuremath{\lambda}/2$ in the vicinity of this echo time. The grating contrast is measured by recording the intensity of coherently backscattered light. The interferometer is perturbed by an additional pulse applied at $t=2T\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}T$ or by continuous-wave background light. If the additional pulse is a standing wave, the momentum states interfering at $t=2T$ are displaced and the grating contrast can be completely recovered due to constructive interference. In this case, the contrast shows a periodic modulation at the atomic recoil frequency as a function of $\ensuremath{\delta}T$. In a recent work, it was shown that the atomic recoil frequency can be measured easily and precisely when using coherence functions to model the signal shape. This paper provides an alternative description of the signal shape through an analytical calculation of echo formation in the presence of an additional standing-wave pulse. Using this treatment, it is possible to model the effects of spontaneous emission and spatial profile of the laser beam on the signal shape. Additionally, the theory predicts scaling laws as a function of the pulse area and the number of additional standing-wave pulses. These scaling laws are investigated experimentally and can be exploited to improve precision measurements of the atomic recoil frequency. We also show that coherence functions can be used to make a direct measurement of the populations of momentum states associated with the ground state under conditions where the Doppler-broadened velocity distribution of the sample is much larger than the recoil velocity. These measurements are consistent with Monte Carlo wave-function simulations. If the additional pulse is a traveling wave, we find that the grating contrast measured as a function of $\ensuremath{\delta}T$ can be modeled by a quasiperiodic coherence function as in previous experiments that utilized atomic beams. In this work, we investigate the dependence of the photon scattering rate on the intensity and detuning of the traveling wave. We also study the effects of perturbing the interferometer with continuous-wave light and find that the dependence of the photon scattering rate on the intensity and detuning of the perturbing field is consistent with expectations.We have used an echo-type atom interferometer that manipulates laser-cooled atoms in a single ground state to investigate the effect of light scattering from pulsed and continuous-wave light. The interferometer uses two off-resonant standing-wave pulses applied at times $t=0$ and $t=T$ to diffract and recombine momentum states separated by $2\ensuremath{\hbar}k$ at $t=2T$. Matter wave interference is associated with the formation of a density grating with period $\ensuremath{\lambda}/2$ in the vicinity of this echo time. The grating contrast is measured by recording the intensity of coherently backscattered light. The interferometer is perturbed by an additional pulse applied at $t=2T\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}T$ or by continuous-wave background light. If the additional pulse is a standing wave, the momentum states interfering at $t=2T$ are displaced and the grating contrast can be completely recovered due to constructive interference. In this case, the contrast shows a periodic modulation at the atomic recoil frequency as a function of $\ensuremath{\delta}T$. In a recent work, it was shown that the atomic recoil frequency can be measured easily and precisely when using coherence functions to model the signal shape. This paper provides an alternative description of the signal shape through an analytical calculation of echo formation in the presence of an additional standing-wave pulse. Using this treatment, it is possible to model the effects of spontaneous emission and spatial profile of the laser beam on the signal shape. Additionally, the theory predicts scaling laws as a function of the pulse area and the number of additional standing-wave pulses. These scaling laws are investigated experimentally and can be exploited to improve precision measurements of the atomic recoil frequency. We also show that coherence functions can be used to make a direct measurement of the populations of momentum states associated with the ground state under conditions where the Doppler-broadened velocity distribution of the sample is much larger than the recoil velocity. These measurements are consistent with Monte Carlo wave-function simulations. If the additional pulse is a traveling wave, we find that the grating contrast measured as a function of $\ensuremath{\delta}T$ can be modeled by a quasiperiodic coherence function as in previous experiments that utilized atomic beams. In this work, we investigate the dependence of the photon scattering rate on the intensity and detuning of the traveling wave. We also study the effects of perturbing the interferometer with continuous-wave light and find that the dependence of the photon scattering rate on the intensity and detuning of the perturbing field is consistent with expectations.

Physical Review AJul 29, 200910 citations

t=0

and

t=T

to diffract and recombine momentum states separated by $2\ensuremath{\hbar}k$ at

t=2T

. Matter wave interference is associated with the formation of a density grating with period $\ensuremath{\lambda}/2$ in the vicinity of this echo time. The grating contrast is measured by recording the intensity of coherently backscattered light. The interferometer is perturbed by an additional pulse applied at $t=2T\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}T$ or by continuous-wave background light. If the additional pulse is a standing wave, the momentum states interfering at

t=2T

are displaced and the grating contrast can be completely recovered due to constructive interference. In this case, the contrast shows a periodic modulation at the atomic recoil frequency as a function of $\ensuremath{\delta}T$. In a recent work, it was shown that the atomic recoil frequency can be measured easily and precisely when using coherence functions to model the signal shape. This paper provides an alternative description of the signal shape through an analytical calculation of echo formation in the presence of an additional standing-wave pulse. Using this treatment, it is possible to model the effects of spontaneous emission and spatial profile of the laser beam on the signal shape. Additionally, the theory predicts scaling laws as a function of the pulse area and the number of additional standing-wave pulses. These scaling laws are investigated experimentally and can be exploited to improve precision measurements of the atomic recoil frequency. We also show that coherence functions can be used to make a direct measurement of the populations of momentum states associated with the ground state under conditions where the Doppler-broadened velocity distribution of the sample is much larger than the recoil velocity. These measurements are consistent with Monte Carlo wave-function simulations. If the additional pulse is a traveling wave, we find that the grating contrast measured as a function of $\ensuremath{\delta}T$ can be modeled by a quasiperiodic coherence function as in previous experiments that utilized atomic beams. In this work, we investigate the dependence of the photon scattering rate on the intensity and detuning of the traveling wave. We also study the effects of perturbing the interferometer with continuous-wave light and find that the dependence of the photon scattering rate on the intensity and detuning of the perturbing field is consistent with expectations.