Related papers: Contrast Interferometry Using Bose-Einstein Conden…
We demonstrate the scale up of a symmetric three-path contrast interferometer to large momentum separation. The observed phase stability at separation of 112 photon recoil momenta ($112\hbar k$) exceeds the performance of earlier free-space…
We use Bloch oscillations to transfer coherently many photon momenta to atoms. Then we can measure accurately the recoil velocity $\hbar k/m$ and deduce the fine structure constant $\alpha$. The velocity variation due to Bloch oscillations…
We report on progress towards a measurement of the fine structure constant to an accuracy of $5\times 10^{-10}$ or better by measuring the ratio of the Planck constant to the mass of the cesium atom. Compared to similar experiments, ours is…
Atom interferometers using Bose-Einstein condensate that is confined in a waveguide and manipulated by optical pulses have been limited by their short coherence times. We present a theoretical model that offers a physically simple…
In Paris, we are using an atom interferometer to precisely measure the recoil velocity of an atom that absorbs a photon. In order to reach a high sensitivity, many recoils are transferred to atoms using the Bloch oscillations technique. In…
Using a three-path contrast interferometer (CI) geometry and laser-pulse diffraction gratings, we create the first matter-wave interferometer with ytterbium (Yb) atoms. We present advances in contrast interferometry relevant to…
The leading experimental determinations of the fine-structure constant, $\alpha$, currently rely on atomic photon-recoil measurements from Ramsey-Bord\'e atom interferometry with large momentum transfer to provide an absolute mass…
We develop a "minimal" microscopic model to describe a two-pulse-Ramsay-interferometer-based scheme of measurement of the photon recoil momentum in a Bose-Einstein condensate of a dilute gas [Campbell et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 170403…
The precision of compact inertial sensing schemes using trapped- and guided-atom interferometers has been limited by uncontrolled phase errors caused by trapping potentials and interactions. Here, we propose an acoustic interferometer that…
We report a new experimental scheme which combines atom interferometry with Bloch oscillations to provide a new measurement of the ratio $h/m_{\mathrm{Rb}}$. By using Bloch oscillations, we impart to the atoms up to 1600 recoil momenta and…
A trapped-atom interferometer was demonstrated using gaseous Bose-Einstein condensates coherently split by deforming an optical single-well potential into a double-well potential. The relative phase between the two condensates was…
A systematic shift of the photon recoil due to the index of refraction of a dilute gas of atoms has been observed. The recoil frequency was determined with a two-pulse light grating interferometer using near-resonant laser light. The…
We demonstrate the operation of an atom interferometer based on a weakly interacting Bose-Einstein condensate. We strongly reduce the interaction induced decoherence that usually limits interferometers based on trapped condensates by tuning…
A new technique for maintaining high contrast in an atom interferometer is used to measure large de Broglie wave phase shifts. Dependence of an interaction induced phase on the atoms' velocity is compensated by applying an engineered…
Impressive pictures of moving Bose-Einstein condensates have been taken using phase-contrast imaging M. R. Andrews et al., Science 273, 84 (1996). We calculate the quantum backaction of this measurement technique. We find that…
We describe progress toward a precise measurement of the recoil energy of an atom measured using a perturbative grating-echo atom interferometer (AI) that involves three standing-wave (sw) pulses. With this technique, a perturbing sw pulse…
In this paper we present a short overview of atom interferometry based on light pulses. We discuss different implementations and their applications for high precision measurements. We will focus on the determination of the ratio h/m of the…
We show that it is possible to reach the sub shot-noise sensitivity of the phase estimation using two independently prepared Bose-Einstein condensates as an input of an interferometer. In this scenario, the quantum correlations between the…
Here we report the measurement of thermal photon statistics from a semiconductor photon Bose-Einstein condensate operating just above the condensation threshold. We identify a regime where coherent, single mode emission occurs while still…
Quantum sensors based on light-pulse atom interferometers allow for high-precision measurements of inertial and electromagnetic forces such as the accurate determination of fundamental constants as the fine structure constant or testing…