We have used diffraction gratings to simplify the fabrication, and dramatically increase the atomic collection efficiency, of magneto-optical traps using micro-fabricated optics. The atom number enhancement was mainly due to the increased beam capture volume, afforded by the large area (4cm(2)) shallow etch (~ 200nm) binary grating chips. Here we provide a detailed theoretical and experimental ...

Quantum networks based on atomic qubits and scattered photons provide a promising way to build a largescale quantum information processor. We review quantum protocols for generating entanglement and operating gates between two distant atomic qubits, which can be used for constructing scalable atom–photon quantum networks. We emphasize the crucial role of collecting light from atomic qubits for ...

Phase-coherent matter-wave amplification was demonstrated using Bose- Einstein-condensed rubidium-87 atoms. A small seed matter wave was created with coherent optical Bragg diffraction. Amplification of this seed matter wave was achieved by using the initial condensate as a gain medium through the superradiance effect. The coherence properties of the amplified matter wave, studied with a matter...

Microgravity eases several constraints limiting experiments with ultracold and condensed atoms on ground. It enables extended times of flight without suspension eliminates the gravitational sag for trapped atoms. These advantages motivated numerous initiatives to adapt operate experimental setups microgravity platforms. We describe design payload, motivations choices, capabilities Bose-Einstein...

We review the field of atom interferometer inertial sensors. begin by reviewing path integral formulation interferometers and then specialize treatment to light-pulse and, in particular, gravimeters gyroscopes. The bulk article focuses on most common type – interferometer, where optics are composed light pulses. Our mainly a advances that aid practical implementation toward gravimetry navigatio...

The successful production of Bose-Einstein condensates ~BEC! has led to measurements indicating that BECs have coherence properties similar to lasers. This suggests that the next stage in obtaining precision measurements in atom optics is the production of atom beams with sub-Poissonian atom statistics—as has been widely demonstrated in photonics applications. Indeed, there is already some indi...

In an effort to better bridge quantum optics and strong-field physics, the authors demonstrate ability of intense laser-atom interactions generate coherent-state superpositions tune their properties. They show that these can transition from optical ``cat'' states ``kitten'' with a change in atomic density, report highest-photon-number cat state date.

Mesoscopic physics deals with three fundamental issues: quantum coherence, fluctuations and correlations. Here we analyze these issues for atom optics, using a simplified model of an assembly of atoms (or detectors, which are particles with some internal degree of freedom) moving in arbitrary trajectories in a quantum field. Employing the influence functional formalism, we study the self-consis...

Atom reflection is studied in the presence of a non-Abelian vector potential proportional to a spin-1/2 operator. The potential is produced by a relatively simple laser configuration for atoms with a tripod level scheme. We show that the atomic motion is described by two different dispersion branches with positive or negative chirality. As a consequence, atom reflection shows unusual features, ...

We report, what is to our knowledge, the first experimental realization of partially coherent bottle beams. It is shown that partially coherent bottle beams can be achieved by the focusing of partially coherent light with an axicon-lens system. The influence of the spatial coherence of the incident partially coherent light and other parameters, such as the radius of the limiting aperture of the...