Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:cond-mat/0109048 · Physical Review A

Quantum beam splitter for atoms

Uffe V. Poulsen, Klaus Mølmer

Published Feb 14, 2002• 16 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

An interferometric method is proposed to controllably split an atomic condensate in two spatial components with strongly reduced population fluctuations. All steps in our proposal are currently in use in cold-atom laboratories, and we show with a theoretical calculation that our proposal is very robust against imperfections of the interferometer.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.65.033613

Related papers

A proposal for a gradient magnetometer atom interferometer

Jon P. Davis, Frank A. Narducci

We propose the utilization of atom interferometry techniques for the measurement of magnetic fields in noisy environments. We find that the interferometer we propose is insensitive (to first order) to the magnetic field but is sensitive to the field gradient. We propose a technique by which a superposition of magnetically sensitive states (a beam splitter) can be achieved. We experimentally demonstrate our techniques to null the magnetic field at the location of a cold atom cloud and how we can probe the population of magnetic sublevels.

Journal of Modern Optics•Nov 10, 2008•18 citations

Influence of nonadiabaticity and nonlinearity on the operation of cold-atom beam splitters

James Stickney, Alex A. Zozulya

The operation of cold-atom beam splitters is analyzed in the context of Bose-Einstein condensate interferometry. We introduce two representative geometries of the splitting region and study influence of nonlinearity and nonadiabaticity on the splitting and the recombination of the condensate for both geometries.

Physical Review A•Jul 25, 2003•26 citations

Coherence Properties of Guided-Atom Interferometers

H. Kreutzmann, Uffe V. Poulsen, Maciej Lewenstein +4 more

We present a detailed theoretical investigation of the coherence properties of beam splitters and Mach-Zehnder interferometers for guided neutral atoms. We show that such a setup permits coherent wave packet splitting and leads to the appearance of interference fringes for both single-mode and thermal input states, evidencing thus the robustness of the interferometer.

arXiv:cond-mat/0309227•Physical Review Letters•Apr 21, 2004•36 citations

Chirped-light-field atomic-beam splitter for atom interferometry

Y. B. Band

I propose a coherent atomic-beam splitter that can be used for atom interferometry. Chirped adiabatic passage between states of the atoms of the atomic beam is employed as they pass through a standing-wave radiation field to split coherently the atomic beam.

Physical Review A•Jun 1, 1993•6 citations

Interferometry and precision measurements with Bose-condensed atoms

D. Döring

Bose-Einstein condensates are coherent matter waves, produced by cooling gaseous atomic clouds to ultra-low temperatures. For applications in atom interferometry and precision measurements, Bose-condensed sources present an intriguing alternative to thermal atoms. Although the current sensitivity achievable with interferometers using coherent atoms is not comparable to thermal beam machines (mainly due to the lower flux), there are promising ways to utilise the potential of Bose-condensed sources for atom interferometry. Among those is the low momentum width of Bose-Einstein condensates, which can generally be well controlled and is advantageous for increased interferometric sensitivities by implementing large momentum transfer beam splitters. As part of this thesis, experimental and theoretical investigations are presented to investigate the potential of Bose-Einstein condensates for such applications. We shall present the quantum projection noise limited performance of a Ramsey interferometer operating on the atomic clock transition of a freely expanding cloud of Bose-condensed rubidium 87 atoms. The results include Ramsey fringes of high visibility, not measurably affected by atomic interaction-induced dephasing effects. The achievement and detection of the quantum projection noise limit rely critically on the precision and accuracy of both the imaging setup and the coupling scheme in the interferometric beam splitters. The stabilisation of the beam splitters via an optical Sagnac interferometer is the basis for the quantum projection noise limited performance of the interferometer presented. For an increase of bandwidth and flux in atom interferometric measurements, it is advantageous to use a continuous atomic beam. A truly continuous coherent atom source has not been realised to date, and we present results on a pumping mechanism in this thesis, as a decisive step towards a continuous atom laser. By the investigation of different momentum resonances, we find that the pumping scheme relies on a Raman superradiance-like process. Finally, the thesis demonstrates two interaction measurements in rubidium. The strong mean field interactions due to the high densities in Bose-Einstein condensates are used to probe the potential of a rubidium 87 condensate with an atom laser. The measurement allows a determination of the scattering length between the two atomic states involved. In addition to this two-body scattering scheme, we present a measurement of three-body loss coefficients, extracted from loss curves in rubidium 85 Bose-Einstein condensates. The measurement provides new upper bounds on the three-body loss coefficients at the scattering lengths considered.

•Jan 1, 2011•0 citations

Analysis of cold-atom interferometer with optical beam splitting and recombination

Ebubechukwu O. Ilo-Okeke, Alex A. Zozulya

Bulletin of the American Physical Society•Jun 14, 2011•0 citations
An interferometric method is proposed to controllably split an atomic condensate in two spatial components with strongly reduced population fluctuations. All steps in our proposal are currently in use in cold-atom laboratories, and we show with a theoretical calculation that our proposal is very robust against imperfections of the interferometer.
We propose the utilization of atom interferometry techniques for the measurement of magnetic fields in noisy environments. We find that the interferometer we propose is insensitive (to first order) to the magnetic field but is sensitive to the field gradient. We propose a technique by which a superposition of magnetically sensitive states (a beam splitter) can be achieved. We experimentally demonstrate our techniques to null the magnetic field at the location of a cold atom cloud and how we can probe the population of magnetic sublevels.
Bose-Einstein condensates are coherent matter waves, produced by cooling gaseous atomic clouds to ultra-low temperatures. For applications in atom interferometry and precision measurements, Bose-condensed sources present an intriguing alternative to thermal atoms. Although the current sensitivity achievable with interferometers using coherent atoms is not comparable to thermal beam machines (mainly due to the lower flux), there are promising ways to utilise the potential of Bose-condensed sources for atom interferometry. Among those is the low momentum width of Bose-Einstein condensates, which can generally be well controlled and is advantageous for increased interferometric sensitivities by implementing large momentum transfer beam splitters. As part of this thesis, experimental and theoretical investigations are presented to investigate the potential of Bose-Einstein condensates for such applications. We shall present the quantum projection noise limited performance of a Ramsey interferometer operating on the atomic clock transition of a freely expanding cloud of Bose-condensed rubidium 87 atoms. The results include Ramsey fringes of high visibility, not measurably affected by atomic interaction-induced dephasing effects. The achievement and detection of the quantum projection noise limit rely critically on the precision and accuracy of both the imaging setup and the coupling scheme in the interferometric beam splitters. The stabilisation of the beam splitters via an optical Sagnac interferometer is the basis for the quantum projection noise limited performance of the interferometer presented. For an increase of bandwidth and flux in atom interferometric measurements, it is advantageous to use a continuous atomic beam. A truly continuous coherent atom source has not been realised to date, and we present results on a pumping mechanism in this thesis, as a decisive step towards a continuous atom laser. By the investigation of different momentum resonances, we find that the pumping scheme relies on a Raman superradiance-like process. Finally, the thesis demonstrates two interaction measurements in rubidium. The strong mean field interactions due to the high densities in Bose-Einstein condensates are used to probe the potential of a rubidium 87 condensate with an atom laser. The measurement allows a determination of the scattering length between the two atomic states involved. In addition to this two-body scattering scheme, we present a measurement of three-body loss coefficients, extracted from loss curves in rubidium 85 Bose-Einstein condensates. The measurement provides new upper bounds on the three-body loss coefficients at the scattering lengths considered.