Lattice Interferometer for Ultra-Cold Atoms

Abstract

We demonstrate an atomic interferometer based on ultra-cold atoms released from an optical lattice. This technique yields a large improvement in signal to noise over a related interferometer previously demonstrated. The interferometer involves diffraction of the atoms using a pulsed optical lattice. For short pulses a simple analytical theory predicts the expected signal. We investigate the interferometer for both short pulses and longer pulses where the analytical theory break down. Longer pulses can improve the precision and signal size. For specific pulse lengths we observe a coherent signal at times that differs greatly from what is expected from the short pulse model. The interferometric signal also reveals information about the dynamics of the atoms in the lattice. We investigate the application of the interferometer for a measurement of $h/m_A$ that together with other well known constants constitutes a measurement of the fine structure constant.

References in corpus (5)

• Quantum phase transition from a superfluid to a Mott insulator in a gas of ultracold atoms
• Spatial quantum noise interferometry in expanding ultracold atom clouds
• The Mott insulator transition in two dimensions
• Decoherence of matter waves by thermal emission of radiation
• Atom Interferometry with up to 24-Photon-Momentum-Transfer Beam Splitters

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Atom interferometric techniques for measuring uniform magnetic field gradients and gravitational acceleration
• Hamiltonian ratchets with ultra-cold atoms
• Prospects for Precise Measurements with Echo Atom Interferometry
• Measuring the atomic recoil frequency using a perturbative grating-echo atom interferometer
• Demonstration of improved sensitivity of echo interferometers to gravitational acceleration
• Atom interferometry using $\delta$-kicked and finite duration pulse-sequences
• An $\epsilon$-pseudoclassical model for quantum resonances in a cold dilute atomic gas periodically driven by finite-duration standing-wave laser pulses
• Resonant transfer of large momenta from finite duration pulse sequences