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Journal of Modern Optics

A proposal for a gradient magnetometer atom interferometer

Jon P. Davis, Frank A. Narducci

Published Nov 10, 2008• 18 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We propose the utilization of atom interferometry techniques for the measurement of magnetic fields in noisy environments. We find that the interferometer we propose is insensitive (to first order) to the magnetic field but is sensitive to the field gradient. We propose a technique by which a superposition of magnetically sensitive states (a beam splitter) can be achieved. We experimentally demonstrate our techniques to null the magnetic field at the location of a cold atom cloud and how we can probe the population of magnetic sublevels.

DOI
10.1080/09500340802468633

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We propose the utilization of atom interferometry techniques for the measurement of magnetic fields in noisy environments. We find that the interferometer we propose is insensitive (to first order) to the magnetic field but is sensitive to the field gradient. We propose a technique by which a superposition of magnetically sensitive states (a beam splitter) can be achieved. We experimentally demonstrate our techniques to null the magnetic field at the location of a cold atom cloud and how we can probe the population of magnetic sublevels.
In this article, we highlight some of the problems inherent in fielding an atom interferometer sensor, specifically an atom interferometer gradient magnetometer of the type recently proposed [Davis, J.P.; Narducci, F.A. J. Mod. Opt. 2008, 55, 3173–3185]. In particular, we focus on the problems created by stray magnetic fields. We review some of the quantum optic techniques to measure local magnetic fields for the purpose of nulling them. We also present our implementation of a technique to non-destructively measure the temperature of an atom cloud. We highlight our implementation of these techniques and present our measurements.
The magnetic field gradient has been measured with an atom interferometer using the magnetic sublevels of 87Rb^{87}\mathrm{Rb}87Rb atoms. The Doppler-insensitive measurement effectively eliminates the contribution from gravity and background vibration noise, and the differential measurement also can reject some systematic errors. A resolution of 300300300 pT/mm has been demonstrated with a 909090-s integration time and a spatial resolution of 1.41.41.4 mm. The gradiometer was then used to measure the magnetic field gradient in an ultrahigh-vacuum environment. The technique will also be very useful to subtract the systematic error arising from the magnetic field inhomogeneity in precision atom-interferometry experiments, such as gravity measurement.
Summary form only given. Spatial coherences are measured by means of a new atom interferometry technique. First, a coherent superposition of the Zeeman components of the atom is built by means of well-controlled magnetic interactions. Second, pulsed inhomogeneous magnetic fields are employed to coherently separate and reunite the atomic substates via the Stern-Gerlach induced forces. Finally, atomic interference fringes are recorded on the state-selected outcoming sample by changing the spatial separation. This method bears strong similarities with the Fourier-transform spectroscopy of light. The interferogram visibility curve yields the atom sample spatial coherences. For example, when the applied magnetic gradients are parallel to the atom trajectory, one gets the coherence length by varying the overlap of the separated wavepackets. Several experiments on cold cesium atoms have been performed and are presented. Furthermore, we have used our magnetic cooling method to prepare the atom cloud upstream from the interferometer. Large enhancements of the coherence length are demonstrated.
We discuss techniques for probing the effects of a constant force acting on cold atoms using two configurations of a grating echo-type atom interferometer. Laser-cooled samples of 85{}^{85}85Rb with temperatures as low as 2.4 $\ensuremath{\mu}$K have been achieved in a new experimental apparatus with a well-controlled magnetic environment. We demonstrate interferometer signal lifetimes approaching the transit time limit in this system ($\ensuremath{\sim}270$ ms), which is comparable to the time scale achieved by Raman interferometers. Using these long time scales, we experimentally investigate the influence of a homogeneous magnetic field gradient using two- and three-pulse interferometers, which enable us to sense changes in externally applied magnetic field gradients as small as $\ensuremath{\sim}4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ G/cm. We also provide an improved theoretical description of signals generated by both interferometer configurations that accurately models experimental results. With this theory, absolute measurements of BBB gradients at the level of $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ G/cm are achieved. Finally, we contrast the suitability of the two- and three-pulse interferometers for precision measurements of the gravitational acceleration, ggg.
Atomic interferometry is a very sensitive technique in precision measurements. In this PhD work we explore ways to improve certain aspects of atomic interfer- ometry. We show that there are some advantages on using magnetic sensitive states. We introduce the required infrastructures to implement Ramsey type interferometry on particular transitions. Using a Magneto Optical Trap (MOT) which is the main prerequisite, the atoms are trapped and cooled. The trapping procedure with the MOT requires ingredients such as lasers, the homogeneous and inhomogeneous magnetic fields, the chamber containing the sample, the vacuum system and the detection part (see Chapter 2). At the beginning of my PhD, this facility for trapping the rubidium atoms was available. Later on we upgraded the vacuum system. During this PhD work we could further cool down the trapped sample thanks to the optical molasses technique. We maintain the atoms at temperatures typically below some tenths of micro Kelvin. The coherent manipulation of the atoms is the significant part of this thesis since we aim to do atomic interferometry. Using radiations in microwave domain, it is feasible to couple any two states and do the Rabi oscillations between the hyperfine and Zeeman levels.\nMy first work as a PhD student was to contribute in the Dual Isotope MOT (DIMOT) experiment (see Chapter 3). The idea was to trap both isotopes of rubidium simultaneously by using only single laser and an Electro-Optical Modulator (EOM). This work introduces huge simplifications on the optical part and is extendable to trap more isotopes at the same time. The experiment has the optical and RF parts and my contribution was to complete the RF part.\nStarting all the atoms at the particular initial point for the interferometry takes us some considerable time to be sure that we correctly transfer the atomic population into the desired state (see the discussion in Chapter 4). From that point we focused on two transitions to use the Ramsey type interferometer. Each of these two transitions have an optimum operating point in order to be far from the magnetic field fluctuations since the interferometers are quite sensitive to the field perturbations sensed from the environment. At the end we aim to combine these two transitions of interest to make a dual interferometer (see Chapter 6). The idea is to obtain the minimum magnetic sensitivity at a tunable magnetic field by changing the fraction of atoms in each interferometer. The dual interferometer may be useful in applications where low magnetic sensitivity is required at a particular magnetic field.
Atoms in magnetically sensitive sublevels constitute a natural sensor for absolute magnetic field measurements, which are explored here to form an optical Ramsey interferometer for determining the magnetic field distribution. An optical Ramsey atom interferometer provides a convenient way to map a magnetic field in vacuum. In comparison with the often used Raman spectroscopy method, a Ramsey interferometer can not only improve the sensitivity, but also dramatically suppress the contribution of the ac Stark effect. Furthermore, in this work, the magnetically sensitive atoms are velocity-selected, which improves the spatial resolution for the magnetometer as well as the contrast of the Ramsey fringes. A short-term sensitivity of 1.4nT/Hz1/21.4\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{nT/Hz}}^{1/2}1.4nT/Hz1/2 for magnetic field measurement is finally achieved even with an interrogation time as short as $500\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$. The presented approach for absolute magnetic field measurement is expected to find wide applications in atom-interferometry-based precision measurements.