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:quant-ph/0611185 · Europhysics Letters (EPL)

Test of the isotopic and velocity selectivity of a lithium atom interferometer by magnetic dephasing

Marion Jacquey, Alain Miffre, M Büchner, G. Trénec, J. Vigué

Published Jan 1, 2007• 13 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

A magnetic field gradient applied to an atom interferometer induces a M -dependent phase shift which results in a series of decays and revivals of the fringe visibility. Using our lithium atom interferometer based on Bragg laser diffraction, we have measured the fringe visibility as a function of the applied gradient. We have thus tested the isotopic selectivity of the interferometer, the velocity selective character of Bragg diffraction for different diffraction orders as well as the effect of optical pumping of the incoming atoms. All these observations are qualitatively understood but a quantitative analysis requires a complete model of the interferometer.

DOI
10.1209/0295-5075/77/20007

Related papers

Lithium atom interferometer using laser diffraction : description and experiments

Alain Miffre, Marion Jacquey, M Büchner +2 more

We have built and operated an atom interferometer of the Mach-Zehnder type. The atomic wave is a supersonic beam of lithium seeded in argon and the mirrors and beam-splitters for the atomic wave are based on elastic Bragg diffraction on laser standing waves at 671 nm. We give here a detailed description of our experimental setup and of the procedures used to align its components. We then present experimental signals, exhibiting atomic interference effects with a very high visibility, up to 84.5 %. We describe a series of experiments testing the sensitivity of the fringe visibility to the main alignment defects and to the magnetic field gradient.

•Oct 22, 2004•21 citations

High contrast Mach-Zehnder lithium atom interferometer in the Bragg regime

R. Delhuille, C. Champenois, M Büchner +4 more

We have constructed an atom interferometer of the Mach-Zehnder type, operating with a thermal lithium beam. Atom diffraction uses Bragg diffraction on laser standing waves. With first order diffraction, our apparatus has given a large signal and a very good fringe contrast (74%, which we believe to be the highest ever observed with atom interferometers. This apparatus will be applied to high sensitivity measurements

•Nov 8, 2001•17 citations

An atom interferometer using thermal lithium atoms

Alain Miffre, Marion Jacquey, R. Delhuille +4 more

\nWe have built an atom interferometer of the Mach-Zehnder type, operating with thermal lithium atoms [1]. Its design is largely inspired by previous works done by the groups of D. Pritchard [2], A. Zeilinger [3] and S.A. Lee [4]. In our apparatus, the atomic wave is diffracted in the Bragg regime by three laser sanding waves to achieve a Mach-Zehnder configuration. This paper briefly recalls the diffraction process and shows the experimental results obtained in our group. Our apparatus is able to achieve a high fringe contrast of 74 % with a large mean detected atom flux of $1.5 \\times 10^{4}$s$^{-1}$. Finally, the paper ends with the measurement of the velocity distribution of our lithium beam using a light induced fluorescence technique.\n

Journal de Physique IV (Proceedings)•Nov 1, 2004•0 citations

Vibration induced phase noise in Mach-Zehnder atom interferometers

Alain Miffre, Marion Jacquey, M Büchner +2 more

The high inertial sensitivity of atom interferometers has been used to build accelerometers and gyrometers but this sensitivity makes these interferometers very sensitive to the laboratory seismic noise. This seismic noise induces a phase noise which is large enough to reduce the fringe visibility in many cases. We develop here a model calculation of this phase noise in the case of Mach-Zehnder atom interferometers and we apply this model to our thermal lithium interferometer. We are thus able to explain the observed dependence of the fringe visibility with the diffraction order. The dynamical model developed in the present paper should be very useful to further reduce this phase noise in atom interferometers and this reduction should open the way to improved interferometers.

•Apr 5, 2006•8 citations

Dephasing due to atom-atom interaction in a waveguide interferometer using a Bose-Einstein condensate

Munekazu Horikoshi, Ken’ichi Nakagawa

A Mach-Zehnder-type atom interferometer with a Bose-Einstein condensate has been investigated on an atom chip by using optical Bragg diffraction. A phase shift and a contrast degradation, which depend on the atomic density and the trapping frequency of the magnetic-guide potential, have been observed. Also, the output wave packets were found to exhibit a spatial interference pattern. The atom-atom interaction and the guide potential induce the spatially inhomogeneous phase evolution of the wave packets in each arm of the interferometer. The observed contrast degradation can be quantitatively explained as a dephasing due to this inhomogeneous phase evolution.

Physical Review A•Sep 13, 2006•44 citations

Phase noise due to vibrations in Mach-Zehnder atom interferometers

Alain Miffre, Marion Jacquey, M Büchner +2 more

Atom interferometers are very sensitive to accelerations and rotations. This property, which has some very interesting applications, induces a deleterious phase noise due to the seismic noise of the laboratory and this phase noise is sufficiently large to reduce the fringe visibility in many experiments. We develop a model calculation of this phase noise in the case of Mach-Zehnder atom interferometers and we apply this model to our thermal lithium interferometer. We are able to explain the observed phase noise which has been detected through the rapid dependence of the fringe visibility with the diffraction order. We think that the dynamical model developed in the present paper should be very useful to reduce the vibration induced phase noise in atom interferometers, making many new experiments feasible.

arXiv:quant-ph/0604028•Apr 5, 2006•6 citations
A magnetic field gradient applied to an atom interferometer induces a M -dependent phase shift which results in a series of decays and revivals of the fringe visibility. Using our lithium atom interferometer based on Bragg laser diffraction, we have measured the fringe visibility as a function of the applied gradient. We have thus tested the isotopic selectivity of the interferometer, the velocity selective character of Bragg diffraction for different diffraction orders as well as the effect of optical pumping of the incoming atoms. All these observations are qualitatively understood but a quantitative analysis requires a complete model of the interferometer.
We have built and operated an atom interferometer of the Mach-Zehnder type. The atomic wave is a supersonic beam of lithium seeded in argon and the mirrors and beam-splitters for the atomic wave are based on elastic Bragg diffraction on laser standing waves at 671 nm. We give here a detailed description of our experimental setup and of the procedures used to align its components. We then present experimental signals, exhibiting atomic interference effects with a very high visibility, up to 84.5 %. We describe a series of experiments testing the sensitivity of the fringe visibility to the main alignment defects and to the magnetic field gradient.
\nWe have built an atom interferometer of the Mach-Zehnder type, operating with thermal lithium atoms [1]. Its design is largely inspired by previous works done by the groups of D. Pritchard [2], A. Zeilinger [3] and S.A. Lee [4]. In our apparatus, the atomic wave is diffracted in the Bragg regime by three laser sanding waves to achieve a Mach-Zehnder configuration. This paper briefly recalls the diffraction process and shows the experimental results obtained in our group. Our apparatus is able to achieve a high fringe contrast of 74 % with a large mean detected atom flux of 1.5times1041.5 \\times 10^{4}1.5times104s−1^{-1}−1. Finally, the paper ends with the measurement of the velocity distribution of our lithium beam using a light induced fluorescence technique.\n
The high inertial sensitivity of atom interferometers has been used to build accelerometers and gyrometers but this sensitivity makes these interferometers very sensitive to the laboratory seismic noise. This seismic noise induces a phase noise which is large enough to reduce the fringe visibility in many cases. We develop here a model calculation of this phase noise in the case of Mach-Zehnder atom interferometers and we apply this model to our thermal lithium interferometer. We are thus able to explain the observed dependence of the fringe visibility with the diffraction order. The dynamical model developed in the present paper should be very useful to further reduce this phase noise in atom interferometers and this reduction should open the way to improved interferometers.
A Mach-Zehnder-type atom interferometer with a Bose-Einstein condensate has been investigated on an atom chip by using optical Bragg diffraction. A phase shift and a contrast degradation, which depend on the atomic density and the trapping frequency of the magnetic-guide potential, have been observed. Also, the output wave packets were found to exhibit a spatial interference pattern. The atom-atom interaction and the guide potential induce the spatially inhomogeneous phase evolution of the wave packets in each arm of the interferometer. The observed contrast degradation can be quantitatively explained as a dephasing due to this inhomogeneous phase evolution.
Atom interferometers are very sensitive to accelerations and rotations. This property, which has some very interesting applications, induces a deleterious phase noise due to the seismic noise of the laboratory and this phase noise is sufficiently large to reduce the fringe visibility in many experiments. We develop a model calculation of this phase noise in the case of Mach-Zehnder atom interferometers and we apply this model to our thermal lithium interferometer. We are able to explain the observed phase noise which has been detected through the rapid dependence of the fringe visibility with the diffraction order. We think that the dynamical model developed in the present paper should be very useful to reduce the vibration induced phase noise in atom interferometers, making many new experiments feasible.