We present the first direct measurement of the gravity-field curvature based
on three conjugated atom interferometers. Three atomic clouds launched in the
vertical direction are simultaneously interrogated by the same atom
interferometry sequence and used to probe the gravity field at three equally
spaced positions. The vertical component of the gravity-field curvature
generated by nearby source masses is measured from the difference between
adjacent gravity gradient values. Curvature measurements are of interest in
geodesy studies and for the validation of gravitational models of the
surrounding environment. The possibility of using such a scheme for a new
determination of the Newtonian constant of gravity is also discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
