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arXiv:1901.03487 · Physical Review A

Offset simultaneous conjugate atom interferometers

Weicheng Zhong, Richard H. Parker, Zachary Pagel, C. X. Yu, Holger Müller

Published May 14, 2020• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Correlating the signals from simultaneous atom interferometers has enabled some of the most precise determinations of fundamental constants. Here, we show that multiple simultaneous interferometers with strategically chosen initial conditions (offset simultaneous conjugate interferometers) can provide multichannel readouts that measure or suppress specific signals and systematic effects. We create two pairs of simultaneous conjugate interferometers and precisely control the offset between them with Bragg diffraction and Bloch oscillations. This allows us to cancel the effect of acceleration gradients, a major systematic effect in many atom interferometry measurements. It also reduces the undesired diffraction phase from Bragg diffraction beam splitters by a factor of 6. This work paves the way for measurements of the fine-structure constant below the 10-part-per-trillion level. It can also be generalized for isotope-mass-ratio measurements.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.101.053622

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Correlating the signals from simultaneous atom interferometers has enabled some of the most precise determinations of fundamental constants. Here, we show that multiple simultaneous interferometers with strategically chosen initial conditions (offset simultaneous conjugate interferometers) can provide multichannel readouts that measure or suppress specific signals and systematic effects. We create two pairs of simultaneous conjugate interferometers and precisely control the offset between them with Bragg diffraction and Bloch oscillations. This allows us to cancel the effect of acceleration gradients, a major systematic effect in many atom interferometry measurements. It also reduces the undesired diffraction phase from Bragg diffraction beam splitters by a factor of 6. This work paves the way for measurements of the fine-structure constant below the 10-part-per-trillion level. It can also be generalized for isotope-mass-ratio measurements.
We experimentally and theoretically study Bragg diffraction as a tool for large-momentum transfer beam splitters in atom interferometry. A theoretical framework is developed to quantify the diffraction phase systematic caused by Bragg diffraction and experiments are performed to confirm these predictions using a Ramsey-Bord\\'e atom interferometer. We then develop methods to systematically cancel and reduce the diffraction phase systematic by carefully selecting Bragg diffraction parameters and utilizing Bloch oscillations. These techniques are then applied to an ongoing precision measurement of $h/m_\\text{Cs}$ for cesium, with the end goal of measuring the fine structure constant alpha\\alphaalpha. We demonstrate a high contrast simultaneous conjugate Ramsey-Bord\\'e interferometer using 5th order Bragg diffraction and 25 common mode Bloch oscillations which achieves 2.5times1062.5\\times 10^62.5times106 radians of phase. We also demonstrate an interferometer with a statistical uncertainty of deltaalpha/alpha=0.25\\delta \\alpha/\\alpha=0.25deltaalpha/alpha=0.25 ppb after 25 hours of integration time that has diffraction phase systematic error of around 1 ppb. Other sources of systematic uncertainty are also thoroughly explored and determined to better than 0.1 ppb. The techniques and theories developed in this thesis will hopefully help enable future precision measurements based on Bragg diffraction.
Bloch oscillations (i.e., coherent acceleration of matter waves by an optical lattice) and Bragg diffraction are integrated into light-pulse atom interferometers with large momentum splitting between the interferometer arms, and hence enhanced sensitivity. Simultaneous acceleration of both arms in the same internal states suppresses systematic effects, and simultaneously running a pair of interferometers suppresses the effect of vibrations. Ramsey-Bordé interferometers using four such Bloch-Bragg-Bloch beam splitters exhibit 15% contrast at 24variant Planck's over 2pik splitting, the largest so far (variant Planck's over 2pik is the photon momentum); single beam splitters achieve 88variant Planck's over 2pik. The prospects for reaching 100 s of variant Planck's over 2pik and applications such as gravitational wave sensors are discussed.
We experimentally and theoretically study the diffraction phase of large-momentum transfer beam splitters in atom interferometers based on Bragg diffraction. We null the diffraction phase and increase the sensitivity of the interferometer by combining Bragg diffraction with Bloch oscillations. We demonstrate agreement between experiment and theory, and a 1500-fold reduction of the diffraction phase, limited by measurement noise. In addition to reduced systematic effects, our interferometer has high contrast with up to 4.4×10(6) radians of phase difference, and a resolution in the fine structure constant of δα/α=0.25 ppb in 25 h of integration time.
Bragg diffraction has been used in atom interferometers because it allows signal enhancement through multiphoton momentum transfer and suppression of systematics by not changing the internal state of atoms. Its multiport nature, however, can lead to parasitic interferometers, allows for intensity-dependent phase shifts in the primary interferometers, and distorts the ellipses used for phase extraction. We study and suppress these unwanted effects. Specifically, phase extraction by ellipse fitting and the resulting systematic phase shifts are calculated by Monte Carlo simulations. Phase shifts arising from the thermal motion of the atoms are controlled by spatial selection of atoms and an appropriate choice of Bragg intensity. In these simulations, we found that Gaussian Bragg pulse shapes yield the smallest systematic shifts. Parasitic interferometers are suppressed by a ``magic'' Bragg pulse duration. The sensitivity of the apparatus was improved by the addition of ac Stark shift compensation, which permits direct experimental study of sub-part-per-billion (ppb) systematics. This upgrade allows for a $310\ensuremath{\hbar}k$ momentum transfer, giving 6.6 Mrad measured in a Ramsey-Bord\'e interferometer.
We report on our experiment to measure h/M, the ratio of the Planck constant to the mass of Cs atoms, and thereby the fine‐structure constant. The target accuracy is 1 part per billion or better. We focus on two recent milestones: (i) The first realization of atom interferometers based on light‐pulse beam splitters that transfer the momentum of up to 12 photon pairs, which increases the useful signal (matter wave phase shift) by a factor of 144 compared to the beam splitters used in the best present atom interferometers. Moreover, they lead to a cancellation of important systematic effects. (ii) The first realization of a simultaneous pair of conjugate Ramsey‐Bordé interferometers. In these, the relative sign of the inertial term is reversed so that it can be cancelled. Simultaneous operation means that this holds for a time‐dependent inertial term (vibrations) too, which promises a substantial improvement in the signal to noise ratio.