Zero-velocity atom interferometry using a retroreflected frequency chirped laser

Isadora Perrin (1) , Jeanne Bernard (1) , Yannick Bidel (1) , Nassim Zahzam (1) , Cédric Blanchard (1) , Alexandre Bresson (1) , Malo Cadoret (2)

1 DPHY, ONERA, Université Paris Saclay (COmUE) [Palaiseau]
2 LCM - Laboratoire commun de métrologie LNE-CNAM

Atom interferometry using stimulated Raman transitions in a retroreflected configuration is the first choice in high-precision measurements because it provides low phase noise, a high-quality Raman wave front, and a simple experimental setup. However, it cannot be used for atoms at zero velocity because two pairs of Raman lasers are simultaneously resonant. Here we report a method which allows this degeneracy to be lifted by using a frequency chirp on the Raman lasers. Using this technique, we realize a Mach-Zehnder atom interferometer hybridized with a force balanced accelerometer which provides horizontal acceleration measurements with a short-term sensitivity of 3.2×10−5ms−2/Hz. This technique could be used for multiaxis inertial sensors, tiltmeters, or atom interferometry in a microgravity environment.

Mots clés: Matter waves and collective properties of cold atoms and molecules

Domaines: Physique Générale [physics.gen-ph]

Isadora Perrin, Jeanne Bernard, Yannick Bidel, Nassim Zahzam, Cédric Blanchard, et al.. Zero-velocity atom interferometry using a retroreflected frequency chirped laser. Physical Review A, 2019, 100 (5), pp.053618. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevA.100.053618⟩. ⟨hal-02223023v2⟩