Hannover 2016 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 27: Poster: Quantum Optics and Photonics II

Q 27.39: Poster

Tuesday, March 1, 2016, 16:30–19:00, Empore Lichthof

Atom interferometry with ultracold thermal clouds and realistic laser pulses — •Jens Jenewein, Albert Roura, Wolfgang P. Schleich, and the QUANTUS Team — Institut für Quantenphysik, Universität Ulm

Our work concerns a real-time simulation of atom interferometry with symmetric and asymmetric pulse separations using a Mach-Zehnder scheme. Short times are useful for modelling experiments performed on ground and long times for extrapolating those results to experiments in microgravity. We use realistic, non-idealized pulses that induce Bragg diffraction leading to discrete momentum jumps. Velocity selectivity effects and excitations of off-resonant diffraction orders are also taken into account. This approach is employed to investigate the expected sensitivity in interferometry measurements, which is proportional to the contrast C and the square root of the atom number N. Techniques such as evaporative cooling lead to an increase of C but lower N. One can try to enhance the sensitivity by stopping the evaporative cooling before reaching quantum degeneracy to have a higher atom number. Delta-Kick-Collimation techniques are then necessary to mitigate the increase in momentum width and the associated loss of contrast due to velocity selectivity effects. Our goal is to determine the highest sensitivity achievable taking into account these competing effects.

The QUANTUS project is supported by the German Space Agency DLR with funds provided by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) under grant number 50WM1556.