English

A high-flux source system for matter-wave interferometry exploiting tunable interactions

Quantum Gases 2025-11-04 v3 Atomic Physics Quantum Physics

Abstract

Atom interferometers allow determining inertial effects to high accuracy. Quantum-projection noise as well as systematic effects impose demands on large atomic flux as well as ultra-low expansion rates. Here we report on a high-flux source of ultra-cold atoms with free expansion rates near the Heisenberg limit directly upon release from the trap. Our results are achieved in a time-averaged optical dipole trap and enabled through dynamic tuning of the atomic scattering length across two orders of magnitude interaction strength via magnetic Feshbach resonances. We demonstrate BECs with more than 6×1046\times 10^{4} particles after evaporative cooling for 170170 ms and their subsequent release with a minimal expansion energy of 4.54.5 nK in one direction. Based on our results we estimate the performance of an atom interferometer and compare our source system to a high performance chip-trap, as readily available for ultra-precise measurements in micro-gravity environments.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2307.06766,
  title  = {A high-flux source system for matter-wave interferometry exploiting tunable interactions},
  author = {Alexander Herbst and Timothé Estrampes and Henning Albers and Vera Vollenkemper and Knut Stolzenberg and Sebastian Bode and Eric Charron and Ernst M. Rasel and Naceur Gaaloul and Dennis Schlippert},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2307.06766},
  year   = {2025}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-28T11:29:26.536Z