Magnetometry with entangled atomic samples

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2005 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.71.012312· OSTI ID:20650194

Petersen, Vivi; Moelmer, Klaus ^[1]; Madsen, Lars Bojer ^[2]

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1. QUANTOP-Danish National Research Foundation Center for Quantum Optics, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark)
2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark)

We present a theory for the estimation of a scalar or a vector magnetic field by its influence on an ensemble of trapped spin-polarized atoms. The atoms interact off resonantly with a continuous laser field, and the measurement of the polarization rotation of the probe light, induced by the dispersive atom-light coupling, leads to spin squeezing of the atomic sample which enables an estimate of the magnetic field that is more precise than that expected from standard counting statistics. For polarized light and polarized atoms, a description of the non classical components of the collective spin angular momentum for the atoms and the collective Stokes vectors of the light field in terms of effective Gaussian position and momentum variables is practically exact. The Gaussian formalism describes the dynamics of the system very effectively and accounts explicitly for the back action on the atoms due to measurement and for the estimate of the magnetic field. Multicomponent magnetic fields are estimated by the measurement of suitably chosen atomic observables and precision and efficiency is gained by dividing the atomic gas in two or more samples which are entangled by the dispersive atom-light interaction.

• OSTI ID: 20650194
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 71; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ACCURACY
ATOMS
CORRELATIONS
COUPLING
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY LEVELS
LASER RADIATION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
POLARIZATION
QUANTUM MECHANICS
QUANTUM NUMBERS
ROTATION
SCALARS
SPIN
STATISTICS
TRAPPING
VECTORS
VISIBLE RADIATION