Orientational atom interferometers sensitive to gravitational waves

We present an atom interferometer that differs from common atom interferometers as it is not based on the spatial splitting of electronic wave functions, but on orienting atoms in space. As an example we present how an orientational atom interferometer based on highly charged hydrogen-like atoms is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Atomic, molecular, and optical physics, 2010-02, Vol.81 (2), Article 023621
Main Authors: Lorek, Dennis, Lämmerzahl, Claus, Wicht, Andreas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AMPLITUDES
ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMS
BINDING ENERGY
CHARGED PARTICLES
CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
FUNCTIONS
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
HYDROGEN
INTERFEROMETERS
IONS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONOCHROMATIC RADIATION
NONMETALS
RADIATIONS
URANIUM IONS
WAVE FUNCTIONS
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Summary:We present an atom interferometer that differs from common atom interferometers as it is not based on the spatial splitting of electronic wave functions, but on orienting atoms in space. As an example we present how an orientational atom interferometer based on highly charged hydrogen-like atoms is affected by gravitational waves. We show that a monochromatic gravitational wave will cause a frequency shift that scales with the binding energy of the system rather than with its physical dimension. For a gravitational wave amplitude of h=10{sup -23} the frequency shift is of the order of 110 {mu}Hz for an atom interferometer based on a 91-fold charged uranium ion. A frequency difference of this size can be resolved by current atom interferometers in 1 s.
ISSN:1050-2947
1094-1622
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevA.81.023621