Enhanced atom interferometer readout through the application of phase shear.
We present a method for determining the phase and contrast of a single shot of an atom interferometer. The application of a phase shear across the atom ensemble yields a spatially varying fringe pattern at each output port, which can be imaged directly. This method is broadly relevant to atom-interferometric precision measurement, as we demonstrate in a 10 m 87Rb atomic fountain by implementing an atom-interferometric gyrocompass with 10 mdeg precision.
Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Alex
A
Sugarbaker
Susannah M
SM
Dickerson
Jason M
JM
Hogan
David M S
DM
Johnson
Mark A
MA
Kasevich