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Atoms are the New Wave in Interferometers

Barbara Goss Levi

Interferometers based on matter waves are just the kind of precision tools needed to hone the cutting edge of physics. The de Broglie wavelengths of atoms, for example, are about 10 000 times shorter than those of light, and they offer correspondingly greater sensitivity. Electron and neutron interferometers have been around for some time, but atom interferometers have remained just out of grasp.

Physics TodayJul 1, 19918 citations

Retarded interaction of two nonidentical atoms

Peter W. Milonni, P. L. Knight

We extend our recent work on the causal aspects of two-atom spontaneous decay to the case of nonidentical atoms.Received 23 October 1974DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.11.1090©1975 American Physical Society

Physical Review AMar 1, 197539 citations

Advances in and Prospects for Matter Wave Interferometry

Andrew A. Geraci, Tim Kovachy, M. S. Shahriar

The field of matter wave interferometry is rapidly advancing on multiple frontiers [...]

AtomsOct 10, 20260 citations

Publisher's Note: Body-assisted van der Waals interaction between two atoms [Phys. Rev. A74, 042101 (2006)]

Hassan Safari, Stefan Yoshi Buhmann, Dirk‐Gunnar Welsch +1 more

Physical Review AOct 25, 20061 citation

Comment on ‘‘Low-temperature expansion for the Ising model’’

Anthony John Guttmann, Ian Graham Enting

Physical Review LettersFeb 1, 19937 citations

A Fabry-Perot interferometer for atoms

Byron B. Taylor, E. Goldstein, M. Wilkens +1 more

Recent progress in atom optics has culminated in several demonstrations of atom interferometers. These rely on the passage of atoms through mechanical or light gratings and may be roughly characterized as Mach–Zehnder interferometers. In this communication, we propose a scheme to realize a Fabry–Perot interferometer for atoms. The mirrors are realized by the field gradient resulting from the spatial mode structure in optical or microwave cavities. When ultra- cold atoms impinge on such cavities, they experience quantum mechanical reflection and transmission that result in the appearance of longitudinal modes for the atomic wave function. We present a model of such a Fabry–Perot interferometer for two-level atoms. We discuss the intra-cavity matter–wave mode structure as well as the transmittivity and reflectivity characteristics of the interferometer. The potential generation of macroscopic quantum waves using such a device, as well as its potential as a sensitive photon detector, will be addressed.Recent progress in atom optics has culminated in several demonstrations of atom interferometers. These rely on the passage of atoms through mechanical or light gratings and may be roughly characterized as Mach–Zehnder interferometers. In this communication, we propose a scheme to realize a Fabry–Perot interferometer for atoms. The mirrors are realized by the field gradient resulting from the spatial mode structure in optical or microwave cavities. When ultra- cold atoms impinge on such cavities, they experience quantum mechanical reflection and transmission that result in the appearance of longitudinal modes for the atomic wave function. We present a model of such a Fabry–Perot interferometer for two-level atoms. We discuss the intra-cavity matter–wave mode structure as well as the transmittivity and reflectivity characteristics of the interferometer. The potential generation of macroscopic quantum waves using such a device, as well as its potential as a sensitive photon detector, will be addressed.

Annual Meeting Optical Society of AmericaJan 1, 19920 citations

Fabry-Pérot interferometer for atoms

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Fabry-Pérot interferometer for atoms

Abstract

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