Darmstadt 2008 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 30: Poster Präzisionsmessungen und Metrologie

Q 30.1: Poster

Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 16:30–19:00, Poster C2

Cold Atom Sagnac Interferometer — •Christian Schubert, Thijs Wendrich, Michael Gilowski, Ernst Rasel, and Wolfgang Ertmer — Institut für Quantenoptik, Leibniz Universität Hannover

Cold atom fountains and mater-wave interferometry have enabled many very sensitive measurements methods for fundamental physics and metrology [1]. We report on the status of our dual atom interferometer for the precise determination of inertial forces. Our device is based on synchronous operation of two counter propagating atom interferometers to discriminate between accelerations and rotations. The atomic source units are horizontal fountains each consisting of a 2D-MOT which loads a 3D-MOT with cold ⁸⁷Rb atoms [2]. The 3D-MOT uses a moving molasses technique to launch the atoms with about 4.4 m/s with a temperature of about 8 µK. The interferometer sequence itself has a Mach-Zehnder configuration realized with three optical Raman pulses for the coherent manipulation of the atoms. The atomic interference signal is measured using the fluorescence light of both output states of each interferometer, allowing normalized results that are insensitive to changes in the number of atoms in both directions. With this compact and transportable setup we aim to reach sensitivities of 2*10⁻⁹ rad/s for 1*10⁸ atoms per shot and a velocity of 3 m/s. This work is supported by DFG SFB407 and FINAQS. [1] C. Jentsch, T. Müller, E.M. Rasel, W. Ertmer, Gen. Rel. Grav. 36(10), 2197(2004). [2] T. Müller, T. Wendrich, M. Gilowski, C. Jentsch, E.M. Rasel, W. Ertmer, arXiv:0705.4544v1, accepted by Phys. Rev. A.