Frankfurt 2006 – scientific programme

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Q: Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 62: Präzisionsmessungen I

Q 62.2: Talk

Thursday, March 16, 2006, 11:55–12:10, HIV

Rotation sensor based on cold atoms — •Thijs Wendrich, Tobias Müller, Michael Gilowski, Ernst M. Rasel, and Wolfgang Ertmer — Institut für Quantenoptik, Universität Hannover, Welfengarten 1, 30167 Hannover

Matter-wave interferometry has a very high sensitivity for detecting accelerations and rotations, which makes it an ideal tool for applications in fundamental physics and metrology, such as tracking locally the rotation of the earth or measuring the relativistic Lense-Thirring effect[1]. In the project CASI (Cold Atom Sagnac Interferometer) an inertial sensor based on matter-wave interferometry is realised to measure rotations and accelerations. To distinguish between them, we designed the apparatus to use two counterpropagating interferometers in a Mach-Zender-geometry for a differential measurement. Each of the two atomic Rubidium sources has a two stage design, consisting of a 2D-MOT and a following 3D-MOT, to launch the cloud of cold atoms into the interferometer chamber. The optical transitions used for the atom interferometer are based on Raman transitions between the two ground-states of Rb87 and are driven by two MOPA systems stabilised to a very stable microwave reference. Thus it will be possible to test various interferometer configurations in time and space. The shotnoise limited sensitivity of the interferometer, when completed, is expected to be 2*10^-9 rad/s for 1*10^8 atoms per shot at a velocity of 3m/s. We will be presenting a status report of the project and show first results. [1] C. Jentsch, T. Müller, E.M. Rasel, and W. Ertmer, Gen. Rel. Grav. 36(10), 2197(2004)