Atom interferometry and the gravitational redshift

Sinha, Supurna; Samuel, Joseph

doi:10.1088/0264-9381/28/14/145018

Cited by 51 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The authors of Ref. 68 could refer to many publications in their support 15,37,48,53,57,65 . However, it would be required to define explicitly a reference potential U 0 .…”

Section: Is There a Physical Process Causing The Redshift?mentioning

confidence: 99%

On the gravitational redshift

Wilhelm

Dwivedi

2014

New Astronomy

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The study of the gravitational redshift -a relative wavelength increase of ≈ 2 × 10 −6 was predicted for solar radiation by Einstein in 1908 -is still an important subject in modern physics.In a dispute whether or not atom interferometry experiments can be employed for gravitational redshift measurements, two research teams have recently disagreed on the physical cause of the shift.Regardless of any discussion on the interferometer aspect -we find that both groups of authors miss the important point that the ratio of gravitational to the electrostatic forces is generally very small. For instance, the gravitational force acting on an electron in a hydrogen atom situated in the 2

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“…The authors of Ref. 68 could refer to many publications in their support 15,37,48,53,57,65 . However, it would be required to define explicitly a reference potential U 0 .…”

Section: Is There a Physical Process Causing The Redshift?mentioning

confidence: 99%

On the gravitational redshift

Wilhelm

Dwivedi

2014

New Astronomy

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“…As a matter of interest, we add that a version of the experiment proposed in [1] has been recently performed and is reported in [2]. Because of the experimental difficulty of detecting the gravitational slowing down of clocks within the small size of their atom chip, the authors of [2] simulate gravity by introducing a relative slowing down of clocks in one interferometric arm using a magnetic field gradient.…”

Section: Correctionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Erratum and Addendum: Atom interferometry and the gravitational redshift (2011 Class. Quantum Grav. 28 145018)

Sinha

Samuel

2015

Class. Quantum Grav.

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“…We emphasize that (20) is an extrapolation of (7) that is frequently made. In particular, all articles [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52] relevant for the redshift controversy start from this assumption. Moreover, we recall that the cancellation of terms which serves as the theoretical underpinning of the claims made in [36] is based on (20).…”

Section: Phase Shift From Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, it has been claimed [36] that one can measure the gravitational redshift in the Kasevich-Chu atom interferometer [37] with a much greater precision than in other measurements schemes. This claim has been disputed [38,39] in a series of papers, an exciting discussion [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47] has emerged and new ideas [48][49][50] have been put forward.…”

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confidence: 99%

A representation-free description of the Kasevich–Chu interferometer: a resolution of the redshift controversy

2013

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Motivated by a recent claim by Müller et al (2010 Nature 463 926-9) that an atom interferometer can serve as an atom clock to measure the gravitational redshift with an unprecedented accuracy, we provide a representation-free description of the Kasevich-Chu interferometer based on operator algebra. We use this framework to show that the operator product determining the number of atoms at the exit ports of the interferometer is a c-number phase factor whose phase is the sum of only two phases: one is due to the acceleration of the phases of the laser pulses and the other one is due to the acceleration of the atom. This formulation brings out most clearly that this interferometer is an accelerometer or a gravimeter. Moreover, we point out that in different representations of quantum mechanics such as the position or the momentum representation the phase shift appears as though it originates from different physical phenomena. Due to this representation dependence conclusions concerning an enhanced accuracy derived in a specific representation are unfounded. Appendix B. Semi-classical considerations in phase space 38 Appendix C. Operator identity 40 Appendix D. Time evolution of a momentum state in a linear potential 41 Appendix E. Integration over all paths by method of stationary phase 43 References 47 New Journal of Physics 15 (2013) 013007 (http://www.njp.org/)1.1. At the interface of quantum mechanics and general relativity At the same time, the wave nature of matter has opened a new avenue for precision testing of the foundations of physics. Indeed, matter wave interferometry has come a long way from the original experiment of scattering electrons from a single crystal of nickel by Davisson and Germer [5] via neutron interferometry [6] to electron [7], atom, or molecule interferometers [8]; even large molecules such as C 60 show interference properties [9]. A new era has started with the creation of cold atomic beams and the use of light fields as beam splitters [10, 11] and ultra-cold atoms in the form of Bose-Einstein condensates. Here, new tests of general relativity [12], such as the gravito-magnetic field governing the Lense-Thirring effect [13-15], are now within reach by atom interferometry [16-18]. Since atoms experience gravity, such precision tests require microgravity as provided by the International Space Station, and there is indeed a new drive to put atom interferometers into space [19]. An important step toward this goal is a recent experiment performed at the drop tower in Bremen [20] where a Bose-Einstein condensate was created and measured while in free fall. Similarly, the experiments demonstrating interferometry with laser-cooled atoms on a parabolic flight of a plane [21-23] or with Bose-Einstein condensates at the drop tower [24] provide important stepping stones toward tests of general relativity [25] such as the equivalence principle with the wave nature of matter. In this context we also draw attention to the measurement of the quantized energy levels of a neutron in the gravitational f...

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Atom interferometry and the gravitational redshift

Cited by 51 publications

References 19 publications

On the gravitational redshift

On the gravitational redshift

Erratum and Addendum: Atom interferometry and the gravitational redshift (2011 Class. Quantum Grav. 28 145018)

A representation-free description of the Kasevich–Chu interferometer: a resolution of the redshift controversy

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