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Observation of free-space single-atom matterwave interference.

Grant W. Biedermann

Published Aug 17, 2016• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

We observe matterwave interference of a single cesium atom in free fall.The interferometer is an absolute sensor of acceleration and we show that this technique is sensitive to forces at the level of 3.2 × 10 -27 Newtons with a spatial resolution at the micron scale.We observe the build up of the interference pattern one atom at a time in an interferometer where the mean path separation extends far beyond the coherence length of the atom.Using the coherence length of the atom wavepacket as a metric, we directly probe the velocity distribution and measure the temperature in 1-D of a single atom in free fall.

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We observe matterwave interference of a single cesium atom in free fall.The interferometer is an absolute sensor of acceleration and we show that this technique is sensitive to forces at the level of 3.2 × 10 -27 Newtons with a spatial resolution at the micron scale.We observe the build up of the interference pattern one atom at a time in an interferometer where the mean path separation extends far beyond the coherence length of the atom.Using the coherence length of the atom wavepacket as a metric, we directly probe the velocity distribution and measure the temperature in 1-D of a single atom in free fall.
We observe matter wave interference of a single cesium atom in free fall. The interferometer is an absolute sensor of acceleration and we show that this technique is sensitive to forces at the level of 3.2×10(-27) N with a spatial resolution at the micron scale. We observe the build up of the interference pattern one atom at a time in a free-space interferometer where the mean path separation extends far beyond the coherence length of the atom. Using the coherence length of the atom wave packet as a metric, we directly probe the velocity distribution and measure the temperature of a single atom in free fall.
Very Long Baseline Atom Interferometry (VLBAI) corresponds to ground-based atomic matter-wave interferometry on large scales in space and time, letting the atomic wave functions interfere after free evolution times of several seconds or wave packet separation at the scale of meters. As inertial sensors, e.g., accelerometers, these devices take advantage of the quadratic scaling of the leading order phase shift with the free evolution time to enhance their sensitivity, giving rise to compelling experiments. With shot noise-limited instabilities better than 10−910^{-9}10−9 m/s2^22 at 1 s at the horizon, VLBAI may compete with state-of-the-art superconducting gravimeters, while providing absolute instead of relative measurements. When operated with several atomic states, isotopes, or species simultaneously, tests of the universality of free fall at a level of parts in 101310^{13}1013 and beyond are in reach. Finally, the large spatial extent of the interferometer allows one to probe the limits of coherence at macroscopic scales as well as the interplay of quantum mechanics and gravity. We report on the status of the VLBAI facility, its key features, and future prospects in fundamental science.
Engineering quantum particle systems, such as quantum simulators and quantum cellular automata, relies on full coherent control of quantum paths at the single particle level. Here we present an atom interferometer operating with single trapped atoms, where single particle wave packets are controlled through spin-dependent potentials. The interferometer is constructed from a sequence of discrete operations based on a set of elementary building blocks, which permit composing arbitrary interferometer geometries in a digital manner. We use this modularity to devise a space-time analogue of the well-known spin echo technique, yielding insight into decoherence mechanisms. We also demonstrate mesoscopic delocalization of single atoms with a separation-to-localization ratio exceeding 500; this result suggests their utilization beyond quantum logic applications as nano-resolution quantum probes in precision measurements, being able to measure potential gradients with precision 5 x 10(-4) in units of gravitational acceleration g.
Ultracold atomic gases hold unique promise for space science by capitalizing on quantum advantages and extended freefall, afforded in a microgravity environment, to enable next-generation precision sensors. Atom interferometers are a class of quantum sensors which can use freely falling gases of atoms cooled to sub-photon-recoil temperatures to provide unprecedented sensitivities to accelerations, rotations, and gravitational forces, and are currently being developed for space-based applications in gravitational, earth, and planetary sciences, as well as to search for subtle forces that could signify physics beyond General Relativity and the Standard Model. NASA's Cold Atom Lab (CAL) operates onboard the International Space Station as a multi-user facility for studies of ultracold atoms and to mature quantum technologies, including atom interferometry, in persistent microgravity. In this paper, we report on path-finding experiments utilizing ultracold 87^{87}87Rb atoms in the CAL atom interferometer, which was enabled by an on-orbit upgrade of the CAL science module: A three-pulse Mach-Zehnder interferometer was studied to understand limitations from the influence of ISS vibrations. Additionally, Ramsey shear-wave interferometry was used to manifest interference patterns in a single run that were observable for over 150 ms free-expansion time. Finally, the CAL atom interferometer was used to remotely measure the photon recoil from the atom interferometer laser as a demonstration of the first quantum sensor using matter-wave interferometry in space.
We describe a method for sensing short range forces using matter-wave interference in dielectric nanospheres. When compared with atom interferometers, the larger mass of the nanosphere results in reduced wave-packet expansion, enabling investigations of forces nearer to surfaces in a free-fall interferometer. By laser cooling a nanosphere to the ground state of an optical potential and releasing it by turning off the optical trap, acceleration sensing at the ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}/{\mathrm{s}}^{2}$ level is possible. The approach can yield improved sensitivity to Yukawa-type deviations from Newtonian gravity at the $5\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ length scale by a factor of 104{10}^{4}104 over current limits.