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Physical Review A

Tensorial phases in multiple beam atomic interference

M. Mei, Theodor W. Hänsch, Martin Weitz

Published Jan 7, 2000• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The atomic tensor polarizability in a pulsed optical field can generate a phase-shift scaling quadratically with the interfering path number in a multiple beam Ramsey experiment. The phase can be interpreted as an internal atomic-state version of the electric (or scalar) Aharonov-Bohm effect. In the absence of classical forces, this nonlinear phase shift causes collapse and revival of the Airy-function-like interference pattern. The technique also holds promise for experiments testing for a permanent electric dipole moment of an atom.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.61.020101

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Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•Jan 1, 2000•0 citations
The atomic tensor polarizability in a pulsed optical field can generate a phase-shift scaling quadratically with the interfering path number in a multiple beam Ramsey experiment. The phase can be interpreted as an internal atomic-state version of the electric (or scalar) Aharonov-Bohm effect. In the absence of classical forces, this nonlinear phase shift causes collapse and revival of the Airy-function-like interference pattern. The technique also holds promise for experiments testing for a permanent electric dipole moment of an atom.
Summary form only given. The field of atom interferometry is experiencing rapid progress. Atom interferometers have been used to determine topological phase shifts such as the Aharonov-Bohm or Aharonov-Casher effects. Both two beam and more recently multiple beam atom interferometers have been realized. We report on an investigation of the electric (or scalar) Aharonov-Bohm effect in a multiple beam Ramsey experiment. The topological phase shift leads to collapse and revival of the fringe pattern. In a first interaction region cesium atoms are optically pumped into a dark coherent superposition of the magnetic quantum numbers m/sub F/=-4, -2, 0, 2 and 4 of the 6S/sub 1/2/ (F=4) ground state. The coherent superposition is probed after a time T in a second interaction region. When the atoms are irradiated in between the Ramsey interactions by an additional linearly polarized light field 400 MHz blue detuned to the F=4/spl rarr/F'=4 transition of the cesium D1 line, the induced AC Stark shift increases quadratically with the magnetic quantum number. The laser field coupling to the induced atomic dipole moment causes-in the absence of any classical forces-an electric Aharonov-Bohm phase shift.
We report on the observation of collapse and revival of the fringe pattern in a multiple-beam atom interferometer, when the drift time between the beam splitting processes is varied. The atomic beam splitters are realized with laser pulses pumping the atoms into velocity selective dark states. For small drift times, the interference signal shows the sharply peaked Airy function-like pattern characteristic for multiple-beam interference. The fringe pattern collapses for larger drift times due to a recoil phase shift increasing quadratically with the transverse atomic momentum. When the total interaction time reaches an integer multiple of the inverse two-photon recoil energy in frequency units, the original fringe pattern is revived.
In a Ramsey atom interferometer excited by two electromagnetic fields, if atoms are under a time-varying scalar potential during the interrogation time, the phase of the Ramsey fringes shifts owing to the scalar Aharonov–Bohm effect. The phase shift was precisely examined using a Ramsey atom interferometer with a two-photon Raman transition under the second-order Zeeman potential, and a formula for the phase shift was derived. Using the derived formula, the frequency shift due to the scalar Aharonov–Bohm effect in the frequency standards utilizing the Ramsey atom interferometer was discussed.
We have constructed an atom interferometer with interfering beams that are physically isolated by a metal foil. By applying an interaction to one of the two interfering beams, we can measure ground-state energy shifts with a spectroscopic precision of 6.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}14}$ eV/\ensuremath{\surd}min , or 16 Hz/\ensuremath{\surd}min . Applying an electric field to one beam of the interferometer, we have measured the phase shift induced from the quadratic Stark effect. By analyzing these phase shifts, we have determined the ground-state polarizability of sodium, with much improved accuracy, to be 24.11(6)statistical{)}_{\mathrm{statistical}})statistical​(6)systematic{)}_{\mathrm{systematic}})systematic​\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}24}$ cm3{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}cm3.
Summary form only given. The transition between quantum and classical systems is usually ascribed to decoherence effects, which become increasingly important for larger size systems and tend to obscure the quantum behavior. Decoherence effects also come into play in the famous thought 'Gedanken' experiments on the wave-particle duality of matter. For example, in a double slit experiment with electrons, a wavepacket passes simultaneously through both slits and forms an interference pattern. However, if one attempts to keep track of the electron path, e.g., by scattering a photon from the electron, the resulting decoherence destroys the interference pattern and the particle behavior takes over. We report on the extension of such a which-path experiment to an arrangement with more than two interfering paths, which is realized using the interference of four internal states of the cesium atom. This two-qubits arrangement represents a more complex quantum system than a two-beam interferometer, which represents a single qubit system. While in a two-beam interference experiment the observation of a path will inevitable destroy the fringe signal, we demonstrate that the scattering of a photon on one of the path of a multiple path arrangement cannot only lead to a decrease of the contrast, but, under certain conditions, also lead to an increase of the fringe contrast.