paper

Ramsey fringes in atomic interferometry: measurability of the influence of space-time curvature

arXiv:gr-qc/9310029 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.50.2080

Abstract

The influence od space-time curvature on quantum matter which can be theoretically described by covariant wave equations has not been experimentally established yet. In this paper we analyse in detail the suitability of the Ramsey atom beam interferometer for the measurement of the phase shift caused by the Riemannian curvature of the earth. It appears that the detection should be possible with minor modifications of existing devices within the near future. The paper is divided into two parts. The first one is concerned with the derivation of general relativistic correction terms to the Pauli equation starting from the fully covariant Dirac equation and their physical interpretation. The inertial effects of acceleration and rotation are included. In the second part we calculate the phase shift as seen in a laboratory resting on the rotating earth and examine various possibilities to enlarge the sensitivity of the apparatus to space-time curvature. Some remarks on the Lense-Thirring effect and on gravitational waves are made. Since the two parts may be more or less interesting for physicists with different research fields they are written in such a way that each one may be read without much reference to the other one.

28 pages, Preprint KONS-RGKU-94/02, RevTeX 2.1 The description of the proposed experiment has been substantially changed. Instead of the space-time curvature of the earth we now consider the curvature caused by two laboratory-sized lead blocks. (Pictures are not changed)

References in corpus (1)

Cited by in corpus (26)