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arXiv · 1402.3822

A Cold Atomic Beam Interferometer

H. B. Xue·Y. Y. Feng·S. Chen·X. J. Wang·X. S. Yan·Z. K. Jiang·Z. Y. Zhou
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Abstract

We demonstrate an atom interferometer that uses a laser-cooled continuous beam of $^{87}$Rb atoms having velocities of 10--20 m/s. With spatially separated Raman beams to coherently manipulate the atomic wave packets, Mach--Zehnder interference fringes are observed at an interference distance of 2L = 19 mm. The apparatus operates within a small enclosed area of 0.07 mm$^2$ at a bandwidth of 190 Hz with a deduced sensitivity of $7.8\times10^{-5}$ rad/s/$\sqrt{Hz}$ for rotations. Using a low-velocity continuous atomic source in an atom interferometer enables high sampling rates and bandwidths without sacrificing sensitivity and compactness, which are important for applications in real dynamic environments.

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H. B. Xue, Y. Y. Feng, S. Chen, X. J. Wang, X. S. Yan, Z. K. Jiang, Z. Y. Zhou. 2014-11-08. A Cold Atomic Beam Interferometer. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4913711

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