Atom Optics and Interferometry with Cold Atoms

这项实验研究计划旨在利用冷原子进行原子光学和干涉实验。主要的重点将是发展具有受限原子的原子干涉仪，例如，受限于波导中的原子或分束器之间的俘获势。该小组的第二个重点将是使用一种新的原子干涉仪进行精密实验，该干涉仪使用非受限原子来测量百万分之几的精细结构常数。这将被用来测量h/m，它将与该小组最近的原子质量测量相结合，以确定摩尔普朗克常数。这可以与其他最近的质量测量(加上里德堡常数)相结合，得到精细结构常数α的测量结果。该计划更广泛的影响是对研究生的教育，以及开发基于网络的物理辅导系统的努力。

This experimental research program is aimed at efforts in atom optics and interferometry experiments using cold atoms. The primary emphasis will be the development of atom interferometers with confined atoms, e.g. atoms confined in waveguides or trapping potentials between the beamsplitters. The secondary focus of the group will be a precision experiment using a novel atom interferometer with unconfined atoms to measure the fine structure constant at the parts per billion level. This will be used to measure h/m, which will be combined with the group's recent atomic mass measurements to determine the molar Planck constant. This can be combined with other recent mass measurements (plus the Rydberg constant) to yield a measurement of the fine structure constant alpha. The broader impact of the program is in education of the graduates students as well as efforts at on the development of a web based tutorial system for physics.