TY - UNPB

T1 - Local Measurement Scheme of Gravitational Curvature using Atom Interferometers

AU - Werner, Michael

AU - Lezeik, Ali

AU - Schlippert, Dennis

AU - Rasel, Ernst

AU - Gaaloul, Naceur

AU - Hammerer, Klemens

N1 - 6 pages of main text, 4 pages appendix, 6 figures

PY - 2024/9/5

Y1 - 2024/9/5

N2 - Light pulse atom interferometers (AIFs) are exquisite quantum probes of spatial inhomogeneity and gravitational curvature. Moreover, detailed measurement and calibration are necessary prerequisites for very-long-baseline atom interferometry (VLBAI). Here we present a method in which the differential signal of two co-located interferometers singles out a phase shift proportional to the curvature of the gravitational potential. The scale factor depends only on well controlled quantities, namely the photon wave number, the interferometer time and the atomic recoil, which allows the curvature to be accurately inferred from a measured phase. As a case study, we numerically simulate such a co-located gradiometric interferometer in the context of the Hannover VLBAI facility and prove the robustness of the phase shift in gravitational fields with complex spatial dependence. We define an estimator of the gravitational curvature for non-trivial gravitational fields and calculate the trade-off between signal strength and estimation accuracy with regard to spatial resolution. As a perspective, we discuss the case of a time-dependent gravitational field and corresponding measurement strategies.

AB - Light pulse atom interferometers (AIFs) are exquisite quantum probes of spatial inhomogeneity and gravitational curvature. Moreover, detailed measurement and calibration are necessary prerequisites for very-long-baseline atom interferometry (VLBAI). Here we present a method in which the differential signal of two co-located interferometers singles out a phase shift proportional to the curvature of the gravitational potential. The scale factor depends only on well controlled quantities, namely the photon wave number, the interferometer time and the atomic recoil, which allows the curvature to be accurately inferred from a measured phase. As a case study, we numerically simulate such a co-located gradiometric interferometer in the context of the Hannover VLBAI facility and prove the robustness of the phase shift in gravitational fields with complex spatial dependence. We define an estimator of the gravitational curvature for non-trivial gravitational fields and calculate the trade-off between signal strength and estimation accuracy with regard to spatial resolution. As a perspective, we discuss the case of a time-dependent gravitational field and corresponding measurement strategies.

KW - quant-ph

U2 - 10.48550/arXiv.2409.03515

DO - 10.48550/arXiv.2409.03515

M3 - Preprint

BT - Local Measurement Scheme of Gravitational Curvature using Atom Interferometers

ER -