Multi-loop atomic Sagnac interferometry

Sagnac interferometry using bright matter-wave solitons.

We use an effective one-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equation to study bright matter-wave solitons held in a tightly confining toroidal trapping potential, in a rotating frame of reference, as they are split and recombined on narrow barrier potentials. In particular, we present an analytical and numerical analysis of the phase evolution of the solitons and delimit a velocity regime in which sol...

Dispersion compensation in atom interferometry by a Sagnac phase

Adiabatic transfer for atomic interferometry.

We have observed momentum transfer in cesium atoms using the process of adiabatic transfer between dark states. We have investigated the sensitivity of this process to Zeeman shifts and to the differences between the translational energies of the states involved. We have shown that, for a chosen velocity class, the resultant phase shifts of the magnetic substates can be canceled so a dark state...

Self-alignment of a compact large-area atomic Sagnac interferometer

We report on the realization of a compact atomic Mach–Zehndertype Sagnac interferometer of 13.7 cm length, which covers an area of 19mm2 previously reported only for large thermal beam interferometers. According to Sagnac’s formula, which holds for both light and atoms, the sensitivity for rotation rates increases linearly with the area enclosed by the interferometer. The use of cold atoms inst...

Sagnac-loop phase shifter with polarization-independent operation.

A bulk-optics, polarization-independent phase shifter for photonic quantum information applications is demonstrated. The device is based on a transverse electro-optic modulator in a Sagnac-type loop containing Faraday rotators. This direction-dependent polarization rotation in the loop is combined with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to form an optical switch with an on/off contrast of 96% and a ...