Atom Noise

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This is a program to study atomic noise sources in simple radiating systems. Such noise is the limiting factor in the accuracy with which the most advanced high-precision optical measurements can be made and plays a significant role in the experimental limitations imposed on efforts such as the production of squeezed states and the study of ultra-cold atoms in traps. Using atomic-beam techniques, the research concentrates on three areas: isolating and separately identifying different sources of noise; development of "internal atomic beam splitters" for measurements of atomic correlation functions; and exploration of direction noise of continuous spatial photon echoes. In addition to having immediate application in other areas of atomic and optical physics, this work also probes the fundamental quantum mechanical definition of measurement.