Differential phase extraction in an atom gradiometer

We present here a method for the extraction of the differential phase of an atom gradiometer that exploits the correlation of the vibration signal measured by an auxiliary classical sensor, such as a seismometer or an accelerometer. We show that sensitivities close to the quantum projection noise limit can be reached, even when the vibration noise induces phase fluctuations larger than 2$\pi$. This method doesn't require the correlation between the atomic and classical signals to be perfect and allows for an exact determination of the differential phase, with no bias. It can also be applied to other configurations of differential interferometers, such as for instance gyrometers, conjugate interferometers for the measurement of the fine structure constant, or differential accelerometers for tests of the equivalence principle or detection of gravitational waves

Enhancing the area of a Raman atom interferometer using a versatile double-diffraction technique

IIn this paper we demonstrate a new scheme for Raman transitions which realize a symmetric momentum-space splitting of $4 \hbar k$, deflecting the atomic wave-packets into the same internal state. Combining the advantages of Raman and Bragg diffraction, we achieve a three pulse state labelled interferometer, intrinsically insensitive to the main systematics and applicable to all kind of atomic sources. This splitting scheme can be extended to $4N \hbar k$ momentum transfer by a multipulse sequence and is implemented on a $8 \hbar k$ interferometer. We demonstrate the area enhancement by measuring inertial forces

A simple laser system for atom interferometry

We present here a simple laser system for a laser cooled atom interferometer, where all functions (laser cooling, interferometry and detection) are realized using only two extended cavity laser diodes, amplified by a common tapered amplifier. One laser is locked by frequency modulation transfer spectroscopy, the other being phase locked with an offset frequency determined by an Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) controlled Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS), which allows for efficient and versatile tuning of the laser frequency. Raman lasers are obtained with a double pass acousto-optic modulator. We demonstrate a gravimeter using this laser system, with performances close to the state of the art

Coherent population trapping in a Raman atom interferometer

We investigate the effect of coherent population trapping (CPT) in an atom inter-ferometer gravimeter based on the use of stimulated Raman transitions. We find that CPT leads to significant phase shifts, of order of a few mrad, which may compromise the accuracy of inertial measurements. We show that this effect is rejected by the k-reversal technique, which consists in averaging inertial measurements performed with two opposite orientations of the Raman wavevector k, provided that internal states at the input of the interferometer are kept identical for both configurations

Active Control of Laser Wavefronts in Atom Interferometers

Wavefront aberrations are identified as a major limitation in quantum sensors. They are today the main contribution in the uncertainty budget of best cold atom interferometers based on two-photon laser beam splitters, and constitute an important limit for their long-term stability, impeding these instruments from reaching their full potential. Moreover, they will also remain a major obstacle in future experiments based on large momentum beam splitters. In this article, we tackle this issue by using a deformable mirror to control actively the laser wavefronts in atom interferometry. In particular, we demonstrate in an experimental proof of principle the efficient correction of wavefront aberrations in an atomic gravimeter

Accelerometer using atomic waves for space applications

The techniques of laser cooling combined with atom interferometry make possible the realization of very sensitive and accurate inertial sensors like gyroscopes or accelerometers. Besides earth-based developments, the use of these techniques in space should provide extremely high sensitivity for research in fundamental physics, Earth's observation and exploration of the solar system

Raman laser spectroscopy of Wannier Stark states

Raman lasers are used as a spectroscopic probe of the state of atoms confined in a shallow 1D vertical lattice. For long enough laser pulses, resolved transitions in the bottom band of the lattice between Wannier Stark states corresponding to neighboring wells are observed. Couplings between such states are measured as a function of the lattice laser intensity and compared to theoretical predictions, from which the lattice depth can be extracted. Limits to the linewidth of these transitions are investigated. Transitions to higher bands can also be induced, as well as between transverse states for tilted Raman beams. All these features allow for a precise characterization of the trapping potential and for an efficient control of the atoms external degrees of freedom

State labelling Wannier-Stark atomic interferometers

Using cold 87Rb atoms trapped in a 1D-optical lattice, atomic interferometers involving coherent superpositions between different Wannier-Stark atomic states are realized. Two di fferent kinds of trapped interferometer schemes are presented: a Ramsey-type interferometer sensitive both to clock frequency and external forces, and a symmetric accordion-type interferometer, sensitive to external forces only. We evaluate the limits in terms of sensitivity and accuracy of those schemes and discuss their application as force sensors. As a first step, we apply these interferometers to the measurement of the Bloch frequency and the demonstration of a compact gravimeter.Comment: 11 page

Quectonewton local force sensor

We report on the realization of a quantum sensor based on trapped atom interferometry in an optical lattice for the measurement of atom-surface interactions, with sub-micrometer-level control of the mean atom-surface separation distance. The force sensor reaches a short-term sensitivity of 3.4 x 10 --28 N at 1 s and a long-term stability of 4 qN (4 x 10 --30 N). We perform force measurements in the 0-300 $\mu$m range, and despite significant stray forces caused by adsorbed atoms on the surface, we obtain evidence of the Casimir-Polder force. Short-range forces are one of the many frontiers of modern physics [1, 2]. In the submillimeter scales, quantum electrodynamics (QED) interactions are dominant, and give rise in the case of atom-surface interactions to the Casimir-Polder force [3]. Since the first highlight of this force [4], several different methods [5] have been able to bring out Casimir-Polder forces, notably by measuring the transmission of an atomic beam through a micronsized cavity [6], diffracting matter waves on a surface [7] or performing spectroscopy in vapor cells [8, 9]. However these approaches have struggled to achieve the high measurement sensitivity required to detect the very weak forces involved all while maintaining a good understanding of the setup geometry, particularly the distance separating atoms from the surface. Few experiments have achieved measuring Casimir-Polder forces while controlling directly the atom-surface distance. In the range from tens to hundreds of nanometers, the Casimir-Polder potential was measured directly by reflecting the atoms on an evanescent field [10, 11]. I

Effective velocity distribution in an atom gravimeter: effect of the convolution with the response of the detection

We present here a detailed study of the influence of the transverse motion of the atoms in a free-fall gravimeter. By implementing Raman selection in the horizontal directions at the beginning of the atoms free fall, we characterize the effective velocity distribution, ie the velocity distribution of the detected atom, as a function of the laser cooling and trapping parameters. In particular, we show that the response of the detection induces a pronounced asymetry of this effective velocity distribution that depends not only on the imbalance between molasses beams but also on the initial position of the displaced atomic sample. This convolution with the detection has a strong influence on the averaging of the bias due to Coriolis acceleration. The present study allows a fairly good understanding of results previously published in {\it Louchet-Chauvet et al., NJP 13, 065025 (2011)}, where the mean phase shift due to Coriolis acceleration was found to have a sign different from expected