Quantum Motion Effects in Atom Interferometry

We study the Ramsey interference pattern of ultracold atoms crossing two electromagnetic fields, taking into account quantum motion effects. It is shown that quantum reflection and transmission at the fields lead to a modification of the standard fringes. The implications on present frequency standa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Israel journal of chemistry 2007-12, Vol.47 (1), p.67-73
Main Authors: Seidel, Dirk, Muga, J. Gonzalo
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We study the Ramsey interference pattern of ultracold atoms crossing two electromagnetic fields, taking into account quantum motion effects. It is shown that quantum reflection and transmission at the fields lead to a modification of the standard fringes. The implications on present frequency standards are discussed. For weak coupling, the difference between the exact quantum result and the semiclassical result is small but results in a central peak shift that may become important for future accuracies of atomic clocks. In the strong coupling regime, a resonance structure with respect to the detuning is observed and the Ramsey setup acts as a matter‐wave Fabry‐Perot device. Our results question the advantage of using increasingly lower velocities in frequency standards because the peak shift and the resonance positions depend sensitively on very minor variations of the atomic velocity and are difficult to control.
ISSN:0021-2148
1869-5868
DOI:10.1560/IJC.47.1.67