Optical Lattice Engineering for Enhanced Interferometry and Sensing with Yb Atoms

一般观众摘要：这个奖项支持一个项目，以敏感地测量光和物质之间的相互作用。实验将在实验室中冷却到非常低的温度的原子气体上进行，此时它会转变为一种称为玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体（BEC）的奇异状态。就像激光束一样，BEC可以分裂成多个部分，然后重新组合。如果不同的部分与光的相互作用不同，那么这就表现在重新组合的BEC的特性中。分裂和重组将使用一种称为驻波的特殊类型的光脉冲进行，研究团队将专门准备这种光脉冲以提高测量灵敏度。通过使用光脉冲分裂，重组，然后观察BEC，该团队将精确测量光-物质相互作用的强度。结果将提供有关这一基本过程的基础理论的可能改进的信息。所使用的原子-镱-在改进全球定位系统（GPS）的时间标准和量子计算机的开发方面具有潜在的应用;这两项工作都涉及本项目将有助于推进的激光原子控制技术。从事该项目的学生将获得涉及原子，激光和电子的实验方法的经验，并参与数据分析，建模，并将实验结果与理论联系起来。这将为他们作为下一代科学家和工程师加入学术界和工业界的工作队伍做好准备。技术观众摘要：研究团队将开发基于光学驻波中相干原子操纵的技术，以提高原子干涉传感器的精度。特别是，由于吸收单个光子而反冲的原子的动能将被精确地测量为频率，通过进一步开发该团队先前展示的Yb BEC对比度干涉技术。这个反冲频率，结合其他测量，将精确地确定精细结构常数α，并测试量子电动力学（QED）理论。精细结构常数在自然界中是普遍存在的，QED理论扩展到各个物理子领域。对比度干涉仪利用脉冲光学驻波来分裂、操纵和重组BEC。干涉仪信号通过经由光学行波的反射监测所得干涉图案的对比度来获得。为提高测量精度而开发的技术将广泛适用于包括重力加速度及其梯度在内的一大类原子干涉传感器。除了这些基本目标外，该项目还将推进BEC的准备、操作和探测方法。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

General audience abstract:This award supports a project to sensitively measure the interaction between light and matter. The experiments will be performed on an atomic gas cooled to very low temperatures in the laboratory, at which point it transforms into an exotic state called a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). Like a laser beam, the BEC can be split into multiple parts and then recombined. If the different parts interact differently with light, then this shows up in the properties of the recombined BEC. The splitting and recombination will be carried out with a particular type of light pulses called standing waves, which the research team will specially prepare to enhance the measurement sensitivity. By using light pulses to split, recombine, and then observe BECs, the team will precisely measure the strength of the light-matter interaction. The results will provide information regarding possible refinements of the underlying theory of this fundamental process. The atom being used - Ytterbium - has potential applications in the development of improved time standards for the global positioning system (GPS) and in the development of quantum computers; both of these efforts involve the sorts of laser-atom control techniques that this project will help to advance. The students working on this project will gain experience in experimental methods involving atoms, lasers, and electronics, and also be involved in data analysis, modeling, and connecting experimental results with theory. This will be good preparation for them to join the work force in academia and industry as part of the next generation of scientists and engineers. Technical audience abstract:The research team will develop techniques based on coherent atom manipulation in optical standing waves to improve the precision of atom interferometric sensors. In particular, the kinetic energy of an atom recoiling due to absorption of a single photon will be precisely measured as a frequency, by further development of the team’s previously demonstrated contrast interferometry technique with Yb BECs. This recoil frequency, combined with other measurements, will accurately determine the fine structure constant alpha, and test the theory of quantum electrodynamics (QED). The fine structure constant is ubiquitous in nature and QED theory extends across various physics sub-fields. The contrast interferometer utilizes pulsed optical standing waves to split, manipulate, and recombine BECs. The interferometer signal is obtained by monitoring the contrast of the resultant interference pattern via reflection of an optical traveling wave. The techniques that will be developed to enhance measurement precision will be broadly applicable to a large class of atom interferometric sensors including the acceleration due to gravity and its gradient. Together with these fundamental goals, this project will also advance BEC preparation, manipulation, and probing methods.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.