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arXiv:2403.14337 · Nature Communications

Optimal Floquet state engineering for large scale atom interferometers

Tangui Rodzinka, E Dionis, L. Calmels, Sélyan Beldjoudi, A. Béguin, David Guéry-Odelin, Baptiste Allard, Dominique Sugny, A. Gauguet

Published Nov 27, 2024• 27 citations

Abstract

The effective control of atomic coherence with cold atoms has made atom interferometry an essential tool for quantum sensors and precision measurements. The performance of these interferometers is closely related to the operation of large wave packet separations. We present here a novel approach for atomic beam splitters based on the stroboscopic stabilization of quantum states in an accelerated optical lattice. The corresponding Floquet state is generated by optimal control protocols. In this way, we demonstrate an unprecedented Large Momentum Transfer (LMT) interferometer, with a momentum separation of 600 photon recoils (600 ℏk) between its two arms. Each LMT beam splitter is realized in a remarkably short time (2 ms) and is highly robust against the initial velocity dispersion of the wave packet and lattice depth fluctuations. Our study shows that Floquet engineering is a promising tool for exploring new frontiers in quantum physics at large scales, with applications in quantum sensing and testing fundamental physics. Large-scale atom interferometers enable precise measurements of fundamental constants and novel sensors. This study uses Floquet formalism to create an optimal transported state, resulting in an efficient large-momentum-transfer interferometer, advancing largescale interferometers.

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54539-w

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Floquet engineering offers a compelling approach for designing the time evolution of periodically driven systems. We implement a periodic atom-light coupling to realize Floquet atom optics on the strontium ^{1}S_{0}-^{3}P_{1} transition. These atom optics reach pulse efficiencies above 99.4% over a wide range of frequency offsets between light and atomic resonance, even under strong driving where this detuning is on the order of the Rabi frequency. Moreover, we use Floquet atom optics to compensate for differential Doppler shifts in large momentum transfer atom interferometers and achieve state-of-the-art momentum separation in excess of 400 ℏk. This technique can be applied to any two-level system at arbitrary coupling strength, with broad application in coherent quantum control.

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