Abstract
In this paper it will be shown that an atom interferometer, based on the coherent splitting of the atomic wavefunction by four travelling waves (Ramsey interferometer), may be explained by a purely mechanical interpretation. As our first application of this Ramsey interferometer we have measured the phase shifts respectively optical length changes in a magnesium atomic beam caused by the acceleration of the partial atomic wave in one arm of the interferometer. This acceleration was achieved by the dipole force exerted by an off-resonant crossing laser beam which interacted with the ground state part of the wavefunction only. Further applications of this interferometer and improvements due to laser cooling will be discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
O. Carnal, J. Mlynek: Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2689 (1991)
D.W. Keith, C.R. Ekstrom, Q.A. Turchette, D.E. Pritchard: Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2693 (1991)
F. Riehle, Th. Kisters, A. Witte, J. Helmcke, Ch.J. Bordé: Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 177 (1991)
J. Robert, Ch. Miniatura, S. Le Boiteux, J. Reinhardt, V. Bocvarski, J. Baudon: Europhys. Lett. 16, 29 (1991)
M. Kasevich, S. Chu: Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 181 (1991)
The light induced shift has been measured independently by the PTB-group, Braunschweig; Proc. of TENICOLS, Font Romeau, to appear in Laser Spectroscopy X, ed. by G. Camy, M. Ducloy, E. Giacobino
Ch.J. Bordé: Phys. Lett. A 140, 10 (1989)
M.V. Berry: The Diffraction of Light by Ultrasound (Academic, London 1966)
Ch.J. Bordé, Ch. Salomon, S. Avrillier, A. Van Lerberghe, Ch. Bréant, D. Bassi, G. Scoles: Phys. Rev. A 30, 1836 (1984)
A. Morinaga, F. Riehle, J. Ishikawa, J. Helmcke: Appl. Phys. B 48, 165 (1989)
F. Riehle, J. Ishikawa, J. Helmcke: Phys. Rev. Lett. 61, 2092 (1988)
J. Dalibard, C. Cohen-Tannoudji: J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 2, 1707 (1985)
J. Prodan, A. Migdall, W.D. Phillips, I. So, H. Metcalf, J. Dalibard: Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 992 (1985)
G. Hennig, D. Bettermann, J.H. Müller, K. Sengstock, U. Sterr, W. Ertmer: Proc. of TENICOLS, Font Romeau, to appear in Laser Spectroscopy X, ed. by G. Camy, M. Ducloy, E. Giacobino
E. Raab, M. Prentiss, S. Chu, D. Pritchard: Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 2631 (1987)