Related papers: Double diffraction in an atomic gravimeter
We provide an introduction into the field of atom optics and review our work on interferometry with cold atoms, and in particular with Bose-Einstein condensates. Here we emphasize applications of atom interferometry with sources of this…
The operation of a BEC based atom interferometer, where the atoms are held in a weakly-confining magnetic trap and manipulated with counter-propagating laser beams, is analyzed. A simple analytic model is developed to describe the dynamics…
Matter-wave interferometry has become an essential tool in studies on the foundations of quantum physics and for precision measurements. Mechanical gratings have played an important role as coherent beamsplitters for atoms, molecules and…
We report the experimental realisation of a multibeam atom laser. A single continuous atom laser is outcoupled from a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) via an optical Raman transition. The atom laser is subsequently split into up to five…
Atom interferometric inertial sensors offer exceptional sensitivity but are fundamentally constrained by the periodic phase response of matter-wave interference, which imposes an intrinsic half-fringe dynamic-range limit and prevents…
We present a theoretical model and numerical optimization of double Bragg diffraction, a widely used technique in atom interferometry. We derive an effective two-level-system Hamiltonian based on the Magnus expansion in the so-called…
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…
Rydberg atom electrometry offers traceable electric field measurements over many decades of radio frequencies in a single device. Miniaturization of these sensors is primarily limited by requirements of the lasers used. Here we demonstrate…
We present time-resolved X-ray diffraction measurements using advanced timing schemes that provide high temporal resolution while also maintaining a high flux in the X-ray probe beam. The method employs patterned probe pulse sequences that…
We present the perspective of using atom interferometry for gravitational wave (GW) detection in the mHz to about 10 Hz frequency band. We focus on light-pulse atom interferometers which have been subject to intense developments in the last…
We observe velocity-selective two-photon resonances in a cold atom cloud in the presence of a magnetic field. We use these resonances to demonstrate a simple magnetometer with sub-mG resolution. The technique is particularly useful for…
We apply a Bloch-bands approach to the analysis of pulsed optical standing wave diffractive elements in optics and interferometry with ultracold atoms. We verify our method by comparison to a series of experiments with Bose-Einstein…
We have studied the optical properties of gratings micro-fabricated into semiconductor wafers, which can be used for simplifying cold-atom experiments. The study entailed characterisation of diffraction efficiency as a function of coating,…
An atom interferometer based on a Stern-Gerlach beam splitter is proposed. Atom scattering from a combination of magnetic quadrupole and homogeneous magnetic fields is considered. Using Raman transitions, atoms are coherently excited into…
The loss of contrast due to atom expansion induced non-perfect Raman pulse area in atom interferometers is investigated systematically. Based on the theoretical simulation, we find that the expansion of the atomic cloud results in a…
Atomic sensors employing cold-atom technology enable unprecedented accuracy and resolution for next generation atomic clocks, magnetometers, gravimeters, and gyroscopes. To date, however, the size and complexity of cold atom systems have…
We apply optical pumping to prepare the lithium beam of our atom interferometer in a single hyperfine-Zeeman sublevel: we use two components of the D1-line for pumping the 7Li atoms in a dark state F,mF=+2 (or -2) sublevel. The optical…
We present a modular rack-mounted laser system for the cooling and manipulation of neutral rubidium atoms which has been developed for a portable gravimeter based on atom interferometry that will be capable of performing high precision…
In this work we demonstrate a high sensitivity atomic gradiometer capable of operation in earth-field level environments. We apply a light-pulse sequence at four times the Larmor frequency to achieve gradiometer sensitivity <20…
A few years ago, diffraction of atoms by double slits and gratings was achieved for the first time, and standard optical wave-theory provided an excellent description of the experiments. More recently, diffraction of weakly bound molecules…