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arXiv · 1603.01967

A quantum sensor: simultaneous precision gravimetry and magnetic gradiometry with a Bose-Einstein condensate

Kyle S. Hardman·Patrick J. Everitt·Gordon D. McDonald·Perumbil Manju·Paul B. Wigley·Mahasen A. Sooriyabadara·Carlos C. N. Kuhn·John E. Debs·John D. Close·Nicholas P. Robins
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Abstract

A Bose-Einstein condensate is used as an atomic source for a high precision sensor. A $5\times 10^6$ atom F=1 spinor condensate of $^{87}$Rb is released into free fall for up to $750$ms and probed with a Mach-Zehnder atom interferometer based on Bragg transitions. The Bragg interferometer simultaneously addresses the three magnetic states, $\left| m_f=1,0,-1 \right\rangle$, facilitating a simultaneous measurement of the acceleration due to gravity with an asymptotic precision of $2.1\times 10^{-9}$$Δ$g/g and the magnetic field gradient to a precision $8$pT/m.

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Kyle S. Hardman, Patrick J. Everitt, Gordon D. McDonald, Perumbil Manju, Paul B. Wigley, Mahasen A. Sooriyabadara, Carlos C. N. Kuhn, John E. Debs, John D. Close, Nicholas P. Robins. 2016-08-22. A quantum sensor: simultaneous precision gravimetry and magnetic gradiometry with a Bose-Einstein condensate. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.117.138501

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