Atom Interferometer Gyroscope with Spin-Dependent Phase Shifts Induced by Light near a Tune-Out Wavelength

Abstract

Tune-out wavelengths measured with an atom interferometer are sensitive to laboratory rotation rates because of the Sagnac effect, vector polarizability, and dispersion compensation. We observed shifts in measured tune-out wavelengths as large as 213 pm with a potassium atom beam interferometer, and we explore how these shifts can be used for an atom interferometer gyroscope.

Potassium tune-out-wavelength measurement using atom interferometry and a multipass optical cavity

“…Such errors stem from balancing the Coriolis force with atomic-spin-dependent forces that are caused by light near a tune-out wavelength. In [22] we demonstrated that λ zero,lab is more sensitive to E when we use circularly polarized light, magnetic fields parallel to the light propagation (alongẑ), and atom beams with broad velocity distributions. For the λ zero measurement reported here we reduced the sensitivity to E by using linearly polarized light, a transverse magnetic field (alongx), and a narrow atom beam velocity distribution.…”

“…In [22], we reported large (±200 pm) systematic shifts in measured tune-out wavelengths, λ zero,lab , due to the Earth's rotation rate, E , and elliptically polarized light. Such errors stem from balancing the Coriolis force with atomic-spin-dependent forces that are caused by light near a tune-out wavelength.…”

“…We attribute the remaining difference to smaller but still nonzero spin-dependent forces that change with the irradiance gradient. Therefore, as suggested by Trubko et al [22] we report the average 1 2 (λ right zero,lab + λ left zero,lab ) for our measurement of λ zero , as shown in Fig. 7.…”

“…Alternately illuminating the left and right sides of the atom interferometer reverses the sign of the atomic spin states (m F numbers) that participate in phase echoes [22]. This changes the sign for the error (λ zero,lab − λ zero ).…”

“…Precise λ zero measurements [1][2][3][4][5] serve as a means to study several atomic properties including lifetimes; oscillator strengths; oscillator strength ratios; atomic scalar, vector, and tensor polarizabilities and hyperpolarizabilities; the polarization of atomic core electrons; core-valence electron correlations; and relativistic and QED effects on atomic transition amplitudes [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Improved knowledge of λ zero values can also be important for several experiments that use species-specific and state-specific optical dipole potentials created with light near a tune-out wavelength [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. Tune-out wavelengths, also known as magic-zero wavelengths, were mentioned in 2004 by Safronova et al [6].…”