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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)

A slowed coherent atomic beam as a new source for atomic interferometry

M. Hamamda, G. Dutier, Valerij Bočvarski, Jules Grucker, F. Perales, J. Baudon, M. Ducloy

Published Jun 1, 2009• 0 citations

Abstract

The paper presents an experiment based on an efficient coupling between atomic Zeeman states (for atoms with internal angular momentum) allowed by the quadrupolar component of the surface- induced van der Waals (vdW) interaction. This exo-energetic "vdW - Zeeman" transition provides a tuneable (magnetic field intensity dependent) beam splitter that was theoretically illustrated by the simplest possible interferometer: an atomic counterpart of Fresnel biprism. The velocity - adjustable atomic beam is here coming across two opposite surfaces (single slit of a nano-grating). For a transverse coherent radius large enough, the atom wave packet is strongly inelastically diffracted by the two opposite surfaces at some distances from the slit to yield non localised interference fringes. The calculation has been done for Ar metastable atoms with a grating of 100 nm period and different velocities of the atoms (560 to 10 m/s). Via the interference pattern (Schlieren image), this device should give access to such novel information as the oscillating part of the complex vdW - interaction transition amplitude. This simplest configuration is not sensitive to inertial effect. As a next step, a loop - closing transmission grating was added to realize a new type of compact interferometer.

DOI: 10.1109/cleoe-eqec.2009.5192207

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The paper presents an experiment based on an efficient coupling between atomic Zeeman states (for atoms with internal angular momentum) allowed by the quadrupolar component of the surface- induced van der Waals (vdW) interaction. This exo-energetic "vdW - Zeeman" transition provides a tuneable (magnetic field intensity dependent) beam splitter that was theoretically illustrated by the simplest possible interferometer: an atomic counterpart of Fresnel biprism. The velocity - adjustable atomic beam is here coming across two opposite surfaces (single slit of a nano-grating). For a transverse coherent radius large enough, the atom wave packet is strongly inelastically diffracted by the two opposite surfaces at some distances from the slit to yield non localised interference fringes. The calculation has been done for Ar metastable atoms with a grating of 100 nm period and different velocities of the atoms (560 to 10 m/s). Via the interference pattern (Schlieren image), this device should give access to such novel information as the oscillating part of the complex vdW - interaction transition amplitude. This simplest configuration is not sensitive to inertial effect. As a next step, a loop - closing transmission grating was added to realize a new type of compact interferometer.

Coherent atom optics experiments making use of an ultra‐narrow beam of fast metastable atoms generated by metastability exchange are reported. The transverse coherence of the beam (coherence radius of 1.7 μm for He*, 1.2 μm for Ne*, 0.87 μm for Ar*) is demonstrated via the atomic diffraction by a non‐magnetic 2μm‐period reflection grating. The combination of the non‐scalar van der Waals (vdW) interaction with the Zeeman interaction generated by a static magnetic field gives rise to “vdW‐Zeeman” transitions among Zeeman sub‐levels. Exo‐energetic transitions of this type are observed with Ne*(3P2) atoms traversing a copper micro‐slit grating. They can be used as a tunable beam splitter in an inelastic Fresnel bi‐prism atom interferometer.

One proposes the equivalent of Schlieren photography in atom interferometry. It is based on van der Waals inelastic diffraction by a material surface, in which the atom internal state (i.e., Zeeman sublevel) is modified by the surface interaction. Inelastic diffraction by two close wires, or the two surfaces of a slit, leads to non-localised atom interferences, the amplitude of which is sensitive to van der Waals interactions in the nanometer range. Implementation of this atom nanoscope on cooled metastable Ar* beam will be presented.

We describe the creation and characterisation of a velocity tunable, spin-polarized beam of slow metastable argon atoms. We show that the beam velocity can be determined with a precision below 1% using matter-wave interferometry. The profile of the interference pattern was also used to determine the velocity spread of the beam, as well as the Van der Waals (VdW) co-efficient for the interaction between the metastable atoms and the multi-slit silicon nitride grating. The VdW co-efficient was determined to be C_{3} = 1.84 ± 0.17 a.u., in good agreement with values derived from spectroscopic data. Finally, the spin polarization of the beam produced during acceleration of the beam was also measured, demonstrating a spatially uniform spin polarization of 96% in the m = +2 state.

Abstract We describe the creation and characterisation of a velocity tunable, spin-polarized beam of slow metastable argon atoms. We show that the beam velocity can be determined with a precision below 1% using matter-wave interferometry. The profile of the interference pattern was also used to determine the velocity spread of the beam, as well as the Van der Waals (VdW) co-efficient for the interaction between the metastable atoms and the multi-slit silicon nitride grating. The VdW co-efficient was determined to be C 3 = 1.84 ± 0.17 a.u., in good agreement with values derived from spectroscopic data. Finally, the spin polarization of the beam produced during acceleration of the beam was also measured, demonstrating a spatially uniform spin polarization of 96% in the m = +2 state.

We used the Toulouse atom interferometer to study how Van der Waals (VdW) interactions between atoms and surfaces cause velocity-dependent phase shifts for atomic de Broglie waves. By introducing a thin nano-grating in one branch of this interferometer, we observed a phase shift that depends on velocity to the power −0.49. This dispersion serves to measure both the strength and the position dependence of the atom-surface potential in the range from 5 to 10 nm from the surface, and it can also set new limits on non-Newtonian gravity in the 2 nm range.

Atom-surface interactions are becoming an integral part of the field of atom optics. Here the role of van der Waals atom-surface interactions in atom wave diffraction and interferometry are investigated. In particular, it is shown that van der Waals interactions influence the intensity and phase of atomic diffraction patterns obtained from material gratings. As a result the atomic diffraction patterns are utilized to make an accurate determination of the interaction strength and verify the spatial variation of the atom-surface potential. A theory for describing the modified atom wave diffraction patterns is developed through an analogy with optical waves. An atom interferometer is used to directly measure the de Broglie wave phase shift induced by atom-surface interactions. More specifically, the phases of the zeroth, first, and second diffraction orders are measured. A proposal for using electromagnetic fields to modify the van der Waals interaction is put forth. Several of the important experimental components for observing such an effect are also demonstrated.