Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Atom interferometry with mechanical structures

Tycho Sleator, O. Carnal, Tilman Pfau, A. Faulstich, Hiroshi Takuma, J. Mlynek

Published Jan 1, 1992• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

We present results on an interferometer for atoms based on Young's double-slit experiment. We also discuss proposed experiments in which the effect of spontaneous emission on the visibility of the atomic fringe pattern, as well as the effect of coherent atom-light interactions on the phase of the atomic wavefunction could be measured.

DOI
10.18419/opus-7060

Related papers

Young’s double-slit experiment with atoms: A simple atom interferometer

O. Carnal, J. Mlynek

An atomic interferometer based on a Young's-type double-slit arrangement has been demonstrated. A supersonic beam of metastable helium atoms passes through a 2-\ensuremath{\mu}m-wide slit in a thin gold foil. This transversely coherent beam impinges on a second microfabricated transmission structure, consisting of two 1-\ensuremath{\mu}m-wide slits at a lateral distance of 8 \ensuremath{\mu}m. This double slit defines two possible paths on which the atoms can reach the detector slit. The good visibility of the observed fringes should make it possible to measure differential phase shifts in the interferometer of 1/3 rad in less than 10 min.

Physical Review Letters•May 27, 1991•627 citations

Young's Double-Slit Interferometry within an Atom

Michael W. Noel, Carlos R. Stroud

An experiment is described which is an analog of Young's double-slit interferometer using an atomic electron instead of light. Two phase-coherent laser pulses are used to excite a single electron into a state of the form of a pair of Rydberg wave packets that are initially on opposite sides of the orbit. The two wave packets propagate and spread until they completely overlap, then a third phase-coherent laser pulse probes the resulting fringe pattern. The relative phase of the two wave packets is varied so that the interference produces a single localized electron wave packet on one side of the orbit or the other.

Physical Review Letters•Aug 14, 1995•98 citations

Matter-wave/atom interferometry

John F. Clauser, Shifang Li

Although interferometry's earliest and most familiar use is with photons, the discovery of matter-wave (deBroglie-wave) interference for electrons demanded the development of quantum mechanics. Since then, matter-wave interferometry has been performed with neutrons, Cooper electron-pairs, and most recently, with whole atoms and diatomic molecules. This talk describes our recent high-flux atom interferometry experiments using the generalized Talbot-vonLau effect. Our interferometer consists of a sequence of three planar vacuum-slit diffraction gratings, microfabricated from silicon nitride membranes. DeBroglie-wave interference fringes are sensed by measuring the transmission of potassium atoms on a hot- wire as a function of grating relative position. Different spatial Fourier components (up to sixth) in the diffraction pattern are resonant in the interferometer at different atomic velocities (i.e., at different wavelengths). When a laser cooled slow atomic beam is incident, various different diffraction patterns are observed as a function of atomic velocity. In an alternative `Heisenberg Microscope' configuration an incident thermal beam produces a velocity average over different fringe Fourier components. AC modulated weak laser light passing through the interferometer interacts selectively with atoms at a specific velocity. The associated fringe pattern is then ac modulated and revealed by its selective destruction.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Dec 12, 1994•0 citations

Precision atom interferometry

Achim Peters, Keng Yeow Chung, Brent C. Young +2 more

The basic physical principles behind atom interferometers based on optical pulses of light are summarized. This method of atom interferometry is based on measurements in the time and frequency domain and is an inherently precise measurement technique. After a brief discussion of some of the important technical requirements for good fringe accuracy and visibility, we describe an interferometer that has measured the acceleration of an atom due to gravity with a resolution better than one part in 1010. We project that the absolute accuracy of our measurement will be of the order of a few parts in 109. We also describe an interferometer experiment that measures the recoil energy shift of an atom when it absorbs a photon. When combined with the value of the Rydberg constant and the mass ratios MCs/mp and mp/me, one can obtain a value for α, the fine structure constant. Currently, we have an experimental resolution Δα/α ∼ 10-8 after two hours of integration time and are studying the systematic effects that affect the measurement.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences•Dec 15, 1997•81 citations

Atom Interferometers: Beyond Complementarity Principles

Zhiyuan Li

Complementarity lies at the heart of conceptual foundation of orthodox quantum mechanics. The wave-particle duality makes it impossible to tell which slit each particle passes through and still observe an interference pattern in a Young's double-slit experiment. In this paper, this duality is appraised under the standard formulation of quantum mechanics for atom interferometers. It is found that the internal freedoms like electronic states of an atom can be used to detect the which-path information of each atom while uphold the interference pattern of atoms when the center-of-mass motion of atoms is detected.

arXiv:quant-ph/0109023•Sep 4, 2001•1 citation

An introduction to quantum interferometry: Young's experiment with fock and coherent states

Hugo Sanabria, B. M. Rodríguez-Lara

"Quantum interferometry uses the quantum properties of light to surpass the Rayleigh diffraction limit inherent in classical interferometry. We have used Fock and coherent states, which describe the electromagnetic input field, a multi-photon counting apparatus, and an operator-based approach to a multi-slit Young’s experiment to present the principles behind quantum interferometry. Our calculations show interference fringes that depend on the wavelength of the source h, the number of slits in the Young’s screen-both characteristics present in the classical scheme-, and the number of photons m, that the measurement apparatus detects. The latter dependence generates an effective de Broglie wavelength, h/m, a phenomenon that can only be observed by taking advantage of the quantum properties of light."

Revista Mexicana de Física E•Jan 6, 2007•2 citations
We present results on an interferometer for atoms based on Young's double-slit experiment. We also discuss proposed experiments in which the effect of spontaneous emission on the visibility of the atomic fringe pattern, as well as the effect of coherent atom-light interactions on the phase of the atomic wavefunction could be measured.
An atomic interferometer based on a Young's-type double-slit arrangement has been demonstrated. A supersonic beam of metastable helium atoms passes through a 2-\ensuremath{\mu}m-wide slit in a thin gold foil. This transversely coherent beam impinges on a second microfabricated transmission structure, consisting of two 1-\ensuremath{\mu}m-wide slits at a lateral distance of 8 \ensuremath{\mu}m. This double slit defines two possible paths on which the atoms can reach the detector slit. The good visibility of the observed fringes should make it possible to measure differential phase shifts in the interferometer of 1/3 rad in less than 10 min.
An experiment is described which is an analog of Young's double-slit interferometer using an atomic electron instead of light. Two phase-coherent laser pulses are used to excite a single electron into a state of the form of a pair of Rydberg wave packets that are initially on opposite sides of the orbit. The two wave packets propagate and spread until they completely overlap, then a third phase-coherent laser pulse probes the resulting fringe pattern. The relative phase of the two wave packets is varied so that the interference produces a single localized electron wave packet on one side of the orbit or the other.
Although interferometry's earliest and most familiar use is with photons, the discovery of matter-wave (deBroglie-wave) interference for electrons demanded the development of quantum mechanics. Since then, matter-wave interferometry has been performed with neutrons, Cooper electron-pairs, and most recently, with whole atoms and diatomic molecules. This talk describes our recent high-flux atom interferometry experiments using the generalized Talbot-vonLau effect. Our interferometer consists of a sequence of three planar vacuum-slit diffraction gratings, microfabricated from silicon nitride membranes. DeBroglie-wave interference fringes are sensed by measuring the transmission of potassium atoms on a hot- wire as a function of grating relative position. Different spatial Fourier components (up to sixth) in the diffraction pattern are resonant in the interferometer at different atomic velocities (i.e., at different wavelengths). When a laser cooled slow atomic beam is incident, various different diffraction patterns are observed as a function of atomic velocity. In an alternative `Heisenberg Microscope' configuration an incident thermal beam produces a velocity average over different fringe Fourier components. AC modulated weak laser light passing through the interferometer interacts selectively with atoms at a specific velocity. The associated fringe pattern is then ac modulated and revealed by its selective destruction.
The basic physical principles behind atom interferometers based on optical pulses of light are summarized. This method of atom interferometry is based on measurements in the time and frequency domain and is an inherently precise measurement technique. After a brief discussion of some of the important technical requirements for good fringe accuracy and visibility, we describe an interferometer that has measured the acceleration of an atom due to gravity with a resolution better than one part in 1010. We project that the absolute accuracy of our measurement will be of the order of a few parts in 109. We also describe an interferometer experiment that measures the recoil energy shift of an atom when it absorbs a photon. When combined with the value of the Rydberg constant and the mass ratios MCs/mp and mp/me, one can obtain a value for α, the fine structure constant. Currently, we have an experimental resolution Δα/α ∼ 10-8 after two hours of integration time and are studying the systematic effects that affect the measurement.
Complementarity lies at the heart of conceptual foundation of orthodox quantum mechanics. The wave-particle duality makes it impossible to tell which slit each particle passes through and still observe an interference pattern in a Young's double-slit experiment. In this paper, this duality is appraised under the standard formulation of quantum mechanics for atom interferometers. It is found that the internal freedoms like electronic states of an atom can be used to detect the which-path information of each atom while uphold the interference pattern of atoms when the center-of-mass motion of atoms is detected.
"Quantum interferometry uses the quantum properties of light to surpass the Rayleigh diffraction limit inherent in classical interferometry. We have used Fock and coherent states, which describe the electromagnetic input field, a multi-photon counting apparatus, and an operator-based approach to a multi-slit Young’s experiment to present the principles behind quantum interferometry. Our calculations show interference fringes that depend on the wavelength of the source h, the number of slits in the Young’s screen-both characteristics present in the classical scheme-, and the number of photons m, that the measurement apparatus detects. The latter dependence generates an effective de Broglie wavelength, h/m, a phenomenon that can only be observed by taking advantage of the quantum properties of light."