Summary form only given.Atom interferometers have opened up new areas of fundamental and applied research. As well known from photon optics, multiple-beam interferometers offer an increased sensitivity on the relative phases between interfering waves. Very recently, first atomic multiple-beam interferometers were realized. These concepts are based on an atomic beam that is spatially split into coherent partial de Broglie waves, where the number of interfering waves is determined by the internal atomic multi-level scheme. We report on time-domain atomic interferometry within a two-level system.Summary form only given.Atom interferometers have opened up new areas of fundamental and applied research. As well known from photon optics, multiple-beam interferometers offer an increased sensitivity on the relative phases between interfering waves. Very recently, first atomic multiple-beam interferometers were realized. These concepts are based on an atomic beam that is spatially split into coherent partial de Broglie waves, where the number of interfering waves is determined by the internal atomic multi-level scheme. We report on time-domain atomic interferometry within a two-level system.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-OpticsNov 27, 20020 citations

A NEW TYPE OF ATOM INTERFEROMETRY FOR TESTING FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS

Dennis Lorek, Cláus Lämmerzahl, Andreas Wicht

The Ninth Marcel Grossmann MeetingFeb 1, 20122 citations

A white beam spin echo interferometer for neutron orbital angular momentum generation

Niels Geerits, Simon Hack, Lara Brukner +4 more

The broadband resonant spin echo interferometer, Coherent Averaging Neutron Instrument for Spin-echo Interferometry and fUndamental Science (CANISIUS), is presented. CANISIUS is located at the 250 kW Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics research facility of the Atominstitut, TU Wien, Austria. It is built in a versatile way, such that it can be operated in both a continuous broadband beam and a pulsed time of flight beam. This versatility also extends to the modes available to the instrument, such as neutron resonant spin echo, spin echo (modulated) small angle neutron scattering, and coherent averaging to produce structured wavefunctions for scattering. The instrument may also be used as an interferometer, to probe fundamental questions in quantum mechanics. In this paper, we detail both the continuous and time of flight options of the instrument. In addition, we demonstrate the applicability of our interferometer to ultra small angle scattering in a white beam. Finally, we demonstrate a new spin echo interferometry tool, which uses incomplete recombination of the two path states to generate composite wavefunctions with special structure. In particular, we show that this method produces neutron wavefunctions that exist in a superposition of two quantum mechanical orbital angular momentum modes, ℓ = ±1. We illustrate that just as this method can be used to generate certain structured waves, it may also be used to characterize the structure of the input wavefunction.The broadband resonant spin echo interferometer, Coherent Averaging Neutron Instrument for Spin-echo Interferometry and fUndamental Science (CANISIUS), is presented. CANISIUS is located at the 250 kW Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics research facility of the Atominstitut, TU Wien, Austria. It is built in a versatile way, such that it can be operated in both a continuous broadband beam and a pulsed time of flight beam. This versatility also extends to the modes available to the instrument, such as neutron resonant spin echo, spin echo (modulated) small angle neutron scattering, and coherent averaging to produce structured wavefunctions for scattering. The instrument may also be used as an interferometer, to probe fundamental questions in quantum mechanics. In this paper, we detail both the continuous and time of flight options of the instrument. In addition, we demonstrate the applicability of our interferometer to ultra small angle scattering in a white beam. Finally, we demonstrate a new spin echo interferometry tool, which uses incomplete recombination of the two path states to generate composite wavefunctions with special structure. In particular, we show that this method produces neutron wavefunctions that exist in a superposition of two quantum mechanical orbital angular momentum modes, ℓ = ±1. We illustrate that just as this method can be used to generate certain structured waves, it may also be used to characterize the structure of the input wavefunction.

Review of Scientific InstrumentsJun 1, 20260 citations

Mobile and remote inertial sensing with atom interferometers

B. Barrett, P.-A. Gominet, Etienne Cantin +6 more

The past three decades have shown dramatic progress in the ability to manipulate and coherently control the motion of atoms. This exquisite control offers the prospect of a new generation of inertial sensors with unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy, which will be important for both fundamental and applied science. In this article, we review some of our recent results regarding the application of atom interferometry to inertial measurements using compact, mobile sensors. This includes some of the first interferometer measurements with cold $^{39}$ K atoms, which is a major step toward achieving a transportable, dual-species interferometer with rubidium and potassium for equivalence principle tests. We also discuss future applications of this technology, such as remote sensing of geophysical effects, gravitational wave detection, and precise tests of the weak equivalence principle in Space.The past three decades have shown dramatic progress in the ability to manipulate and coherently control the motion of atoms. This exquisite control offers the prospect of a new generation of inertial sensors with unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy, which will be important for both fundamental and applied science. In this article, we review some of our recent results regarding the application of atom interferometry to inertial measurements using compact, mobile sensors. This includes some of the first interferometer measurements with cold $^{39}$K atoms, which is a major step toward achieving a transportable, dual-species interferometer with rubidium and potassium for equivalence principle tests. We also discuss future applications of this technology, such as remote sensing of geophysical effects, gravitational wave detection, and precise tests of the weak equivalence principle in Space.

arXiv:1311.7033Nov 27, 201325 citations

^{39}

K atoms, which is a major step toward achieving a transportable, dual-species interferometer with rubidium and potassium for equivalence principle tests. We also discuss future applications of this technology, such as remote sensing of geophysical effects, gravitational wave detection, and precise tests of the weak equivalence principle in Space.