Atom Matterwave Interferometry for Inertial Sensing Seminar

Atom interferometry uses the de Broglie wavefunction of cold gaseous atoms in place of the optical waveform of a conventional interferometer, and laser beams instead of the mirrors and beamsplitters. Since atoms have mass, and can carry charge and have magnetic moments, atom interferometry can reveal inertial motions and gravitational, electric and magnetic fields. The development of atom matterwave interferometers into exquisitely sensitive measuring devices will however require special techniques to eliminate the sensitivity to variations not being measured. 

This talk will describe the atom interferometric measurement of atomic velocities, its use for a new form of laser cooling, and the application of composite pulse sequences to improve the interferometer fidelity in the presence of systematic inhomogeneities. It will then describe how differential velocimetry allows the measurement of accelerations and rotations, our project to develop a miniature matterwave gyroscope, and its analogy to Harrison’s clocks and Longitude Prize of 1714.