Probing the spatial distribution of k-vectors in situ with Bose-Einstein condensates
Abstract
We present a novel method for mapping \textit{in situ} the spatial distribution of photon momentum across a laser beam using a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) as a moving probe. By displacing the BEC, we measure the photon recoil by atom interferometry at different positions in the laser beam and thus reconstruct a two-dimensional map of the local intensity and effective dispersion of the wave vector. Applied to a beam diffracted by a diaphragm, this method reveals a local \textit{extra recoil} effect, which exceeds the magnitude of the individual plane-waves over which the beam can be decomposed. This method offers a new way to precisely characterize wavefront distortions and to evaluate one of the major systematic bias sources in quantum sensors based on atom interferometry.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2507.19157,
title = {Probing the spatial distribution of k-vectors in situ with Bose-Einstein condensates},
author = {Samuel Gaudout and Rayan Si-Ahmed and Clément Debavelaere and Menno Door and Pierre Cladé and Saïda Guellati-Khelifa},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2507.19157},
year = {2025}
}