New Applications for Atom Interferometry using Material Gratings

本研究计画将探讨原子干涉测量学的几个新领域。 例如，这项工作将开发一种用于色散补偿的创新技术，这种技术也可能对波导干涉仪有用，并将大大提高用材料原子光学构建的惯性传感器的动态范围。 作为该项目的一部分进行的分子干涉测量和原子-表面相互作用测量将对化学物理产生影响。 由于原子-原子相互作用而提出的退相干测量将用于理解大规模量子计算的挑战。所提出的对所有碱金属原子极化率的测量精度为0.01%，将成为原子多体理论预测原子跃迁矩阵元的基准。同样的理论也需要解释原子宇称破坏测量作为标准模型的检验。因此，测量铯的极化率将有助于减少原子结构理论在这些标准模型之外的新物理学基础测试中的不确定性。用于预测原子-原子货车德瓦耳斯相互作用强度、光学折射率和原子寿命的类似理论将从这项拟议的研究中受益。其他更广泛的影响包括学生教育和社区外联。

This research project will explore several frontiers of atom interferometry. For example, the work will develop an innovative technique for dispersion compensation, one that might be useful for waveguide interferometers as well, and will dramatically enhance the dynamic range of inertial sensors built with material atom optics. Molecule interferometry and the atom-surface interaction measurements carried out as part of the project will have an impact in chemical physics. Proposed measurements of decoherence due to atom-atom interactions will be used to understand the challenges for large-scale quantum computation. The proposed measurements of polarizability of all the alkali atoms with 0.01% precision will become a benchmark for atomic transition matrix elements predicted by atomic many-body theory. The same theory is needed for interpreting atomic parity violation measurements as a test of the standard model. Thus, measurements of polarizability in cesium will help reduce the uncertainty due to atomic structure theory in these fundamental tests for new physics beyond the standard model. Similar theory used to predict atom-atom van der Waals interaction strengths, optical index of refraction, and atomic lifetimes will benefit from this proposed research. Additional broader impact involves student education and community outreach.