Correlative methods for dual-species quantum tests of the weak equivalence principle

Abstract

Matter-wave interferometers utilizing different isotopes or chemical elements intrinsically have different sensitivities, and the analysis tools available until now are insufficient for accurately estimating the atomic phase difference under many experimental conditions. In this work, we describe and demonstrate two new methods for extracting the differential phase between dual-species atom interferometers for precise tests of the weak equivalence principle. The first method is a generalized Bayesian analysis, which uses knowledge of the system noise to estimate the differential phase based on a statistical model. The second method utilizes a mechanical accelerometer to reconstruct single-sensor interference fringes based on measurements of the vibration-induced phase. An improved ellipse-fitting algorithm is also implemented as a third method for comparison. These analysis tools are investigated using both numerical simulations and experimental data from simultaneous ${}^{87}$Rb and ${}^{39}$K interferometers, and both new techniques are shown to produce bias-free estimates of the differential phase. We also report observations of phase correlations between atom interferometers composed of different chemical species. This correlation enables us to reject common-mode vibration noise by a factor of 730, and to make preliminary tests of the weak equivalence principle with a sensitivity of $1.6\times 10^{-6}$ per measurement with an interrogation time of $T=10$ ms. We study the level of vibration rejection by varying the temporal overlap between interferometers in a symmetric timing sequence. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the new analysis methods for future applications of differential atom interferometry.

38 pages + references, 15 figures, published version

References in corpus (23)

• Atom Interferometers
• Test of the Equivalence Principle Using a Rotating Torsion Balance
• Precision Measurement of the Newtonian Gravitational Constant Using Cold Atoms
• Interferometry with Bose-Einstein Condensates in Microgravity
• 6-axis inertial sensor using cold-atom interferometry
• Testing General Relativity with Atom Interferometry
• An Atomic Gravitational Wave Interferometric Sensor (AGIS)
• Quantum Test of the Universality of Free Fall
• Test of Equivalence Principle at $10^{-8}$ Level by a Dual-species Double-diffraction Raman Atom Interferometer
• Limits to the sensitivity of a low noise compact atomic gravimeter
• Test of Einstein Equivalence Principle for 0-spin and half-integer-spin atoms: Search for spin-gravity coupling effects
• Sensitivity limits of a Raman atom interferometer as a gravity gradiometer
• Quantum Tests of the Einstein Equivalence Principle with the STE-QUEST Space Mission
• Stability comparison of two absolute gravimeters: optical versus atomic interferometers
• Testing Gravity with Cold-Atom Interferometers
• Measurement of the Gravity-Field Curvature by Atom Interferometry
• The Sagnac effect: 20 years of development in matter-wave interferometry
• Hybridizing matter-wave and classical accelerometers
• Comparison between two mobile absolute gravimeters: optical versus atomic interferometers
• Operating an atom interferometer beyond its linear range
• Testing the universality of free fall with rubidium and ytterbium in a very large baseline atom interferometer
• STEP and fundamental physics
• Status of MICROSCOPE, a mission to test the Equivalence Principle in space

Cited by in corpus (25)

• Exploring gravity with the MIGA large scale atom interferometer
• Dual Matter-Wave Inertial Sensors in Weightlessness
• Matter-wave Atomic Gradiometer Interferometric Sensor (MAGIS-100)
• Navigation-compatible hybrid quantum accelerometer using a Kalman filter
• Testing gravity with cold atom interferometry: Results and prospects
• Precision Gravity Tests and the Einstein Equivalence Principle
• Cornering the axion with CP-violating interactions
• Development of compact cold-atom sensors for inertial navigation
• Quantum test of the Universality of Free Fall using rubidium and potassium
• Exploring the Foundations of the Universe with Space Tests of the Equivalence Principle
• Watt-level blue light for precision spectroscopy, laser cooling and trapping of strontium and cadmium atoms
• Testing the Universality of Free Fall using correlated ${}^{39}$K -- ${}^{87}$Rb interferometers
• Proof-of-principle demonstration of vertical gravity gradient measurement using a single proof mass double-loop atom interferometer
• Extracting the differential phase in dual atom interferometers by modulating magnetic fields
• Prospects for Precise Measurements with Echo Atom Interferometry
• Generation of high-purity, low-temperature samples of ${}^{39}$K for applications in metrology
• Robust Atom Optics for Bragg Atom Interferometry
• Carrier-Suppressed Multiple Single-Sideband Laser Source for Atom Cooling and Interferometry
• Differential phase extraction in dual interferometers exploiting the correlation between classical and quantum sensors
• MIGA: Combining laser and matter wave interferometry for mass distribution monitoring and advanced geodesy
• Enhancing strontium clock atom interferometry using quantum optimal control
• Physical quantities and spatial parameters in the complex octonion curved space
• Contrastive analysis of two energy gradients in the ultra-strong magnetic fields
• Spatial and Pulse Efficiency Constraints in Atom Interferometric Gravitational Wave Detectors
• Tensor gravity gradiometry with a single-axis atom gradiometer