Atom interferometry with up to 24-photon-momentum-transfer beam splitters.
We present up to 24-photon Bragg diffraction as a beam splitter in light-pulse atom interferometers to achieve the largest splitting in momentum space so far. Relative to the 2-photon processes used in the most sensitive present interferometers, these large momentum transfer beam splitters increase the phase shift 12-fold for Mach-Zehnder (MZ) and 144-fold for Ramsey-Bordé (RB) geometries. We achieve a high visibility of the interference fringes (up to 52% for MZ or 36% for RB) and long pulse separation times that are possible only in atomic fountain setups. As the atom's internal state is not changed, important systematic effects can cancel.
Physics Department, Stanford University, 382 Via Pueblo Mall, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Holger
H
Müller
Sheng-wey
SW
Chiow
Quan
Q
Long
Sven
S
Herrmann
Steven
S
Chu