Atom Interferometry with up to 24-Photon-Momentum-Transfer Beam Splitters

Journal Article · Fri May 09 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.100.180405· OSTI ID:21128115

Mueller, Holger; Chiow, Sheng-wey; Long, Quan; Herrmann, Sven ^[1]; Chu, Steven ^[1]

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1. Physics Department, Stanford University, 382 Via Pueblo Mall, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

We present up to 24-photon Bragg diffraction as a beam splitter in light-pulse atom interferometers to achieve the largest splitting in momentum space so far. Relative to the 2-photon processes used in the most sensitive present interferometers, these large momentum transfer beam splitters increase the phase shift 12-fold for Mach-Zehnder (MZ) and 144-fold for Ramsey-Borde (RB) geometries. We achieve a high visibility of the interference fringes (up to 52% for MZ or 36% for RB) and long pulse separation times that are possible only in atomic fountain setups. As the atom's internal state is not changed, important systematic effects can cancel.

• OSTI ID: 21128115
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 100, Issue 18; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.180405; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATOMS
BEAM SPLITTING
BRAGG REFLECTION
GEOMETRY
INTERFERENCE
INTERFEROMETERS
INTERFEROMETRY
MOMENTUM TRANSFER
PHASE SHIFT
PHOTONS
PULSES