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arXiv:physics/0608083 · Physical Review Letters

Demonstration of an Area-Enclosing Guided-Atom Interferometer for Rotation Sensing

Saijun Wu, Edward Su, Mara Goff Prentiss

Published Oct 25, 2007• 130 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We demonstrate area-enclosing atom interferometry based on a moving guide. Light pulses along the free-propagation direction of a magnetic guide are applied to split and recombine the confined atomic matter-wave, while the atoms are translated back and forth along a second direction in 50 ms. The interferometer is estimated to resolve 10 times the earth rotation rate per interferometry cycle. We demonstrate a "folded figure 8" interfering configuration for creating a compact, large-area atom gyroscope with multiple-turn interfering paths.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.99.173201

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Research in Optical Sciences•Jan 1, 2012•6 citations
We demonstrate area-enclosing atom interferometry based on a moving guide. Light pulses along the free-propagation direction of a magnetic guide are applied to split and recombine the confined atomic matter-wave, while the atoms are translated back and forth along a second direction in 50 ms. The interferometer is estimated to resolve 10 times the earth rotation rate per interferometry cycle. We demonstrate a "folded figure 8" interfering configuration for creating a compact, large-area atom gyroscope with multiple-turn interfering paths.
We proposed to realize area-enclosed Raman-type atom interferometer on an atom chip based on the moving guide. Symmetrical state-dependent microwave potentials are applied to split and recombine the atoms with different internal states along the free-propagation direction of a magnetic guide, while the atoms are translated along another direction with the moving guide back and forth. For the long coherence time of the atom internal states and the moving guide scheme, compact and large area-enclosed atom gyroscope can be realized on an atom chip.
We report the experimental realization of a large-area and multiaxis atomtronic interferometer in an optical waveguide for rotation sensing. A large enclosed area is achieved through multiloop operation in a guided-atom interferometer using Bose-Einstein condensates. We demonstrate a three-loop interferometer with a total interrogation time of ∼ 0.4 s and an enclosed area of 8.7 mm 2 —the largest reported in a fully guided or one-dimensional setup. High-contrast interference fringes are observed for up to five Sagnac orbits in a smaller loop-area configuration. Our approach enables interleaved rotation measurements about multiple arbitrary axes within the same experimental setup. We present results for area-enclosing interferometers in both horizontal and vertical planes, demonstrating that the interferometer contrast remains comparable across orthogonal orientations of the enclosed area vectors.
Matter-wave interferometry with cold atoms offers a competitive tool for absolute measurements of acceleration and rotation. The sensitivity of atom-interferometric gyroscopes depends on the area enclosed by the interferometer. In this contribution, we present a concept for a rotation sensor, utilizing a multi-loop interferometer geometry to achieve a scalable area while maintaining a compact setup. It enables rotation measurements of a single axis on ground and can be extended to measure rotations along all three spatial axes in microgravity, for potential applications in space missions, Earth observation, and navigation systems.
We realize beam splitters and mirrors for atom waves by employing a sequence of light pulses rather than individual ones. In this way we can tailor atom interferometers with improved sensitivity and accuracy. We demonstrate our method of composite pulses by creating a symmetric matter-wave interferometer which combines the advantages of conventional Bragg- and Raman-type concepts. This feature leads to an interferometer with a high immunity to technical noise allowing us to devise a large-area Sagnac gyroscope yielding a phase shift of 6.5 rad due to the Earth's rotation. With this device we achieve a rotation rate precision of 120 nrad s(-1) Hz(-1/2) and determine the Earth's rotation rate with a relative uncertainty of 1.2%.
We propose to develop a new generation of compact high sensitivity gyroscopes using guided matter-waves on atom chips, able to fulfill the requirements of metrological applications. They will be designed to overcome the main limitations of free falling atoms interferometers: interrogation time and quantum projection noise. A cloud of cold 87Rb atoms will be coherently split and constrained to propagate along a circular guide of a few millimeters radius. At the output of the guide an interference signal sensitive to rotation via the Sagnac effect will be measured.