Dommigs · Design of a monolithic matter-wave interferometer for gravity sensing and navigation
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-11-01 → 2023-12-29
- EU contribution
- €202,159
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Design of a monolithic matter-wave interferometer for gravity sensing and navigation
Atom interferometry stands out as a compassionate tool for high-precision measurements, leveraging interferometric metrology's accuracy and interfering particles' ability to interact with external fields. While successful implementations based on cloud atoms and Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) exist, they come with substantial costs. In contrast, thermal atom beams offer a more economical option but lack the broad beam splitting essential for high sensitivities. A novel approach employing thermal atom beams and reflective surfaces to separate the beam has been explored to address this limitation. Such a device offers advantages in terms of compactness, affordability, and robustness compared to cold atomic solutions, including BECs. The project set out to achieve the following objectives: (I) Develop a general theory elucidating the behaviour of reflective atom interferometers. (II) Formulate theoretical models delineating the interactions within these devices and their effects on interference patterns, thereby assessing their potential as quantum sensors. (III) Propose experimental implementations tailored for acceleration sensing. By accomplishing these objectives, the project aims to unlock the full potential of reflective atom interferometers, paving the way for cost-effective and versatile high-precision measurement devices.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Interferometry is a universal, precision metrology tool. Matter wave interferometers have been developed over the last decades and are now used as gravimeters for prospecting and geoscience and in fundamental studies, i.e. of quantum coherence, gravitational constant measurements and dielectric response. Research is ongoing for use as accelerometers for long distance, under-water navigation and for dark matter and gravitational field exploration in space. Monolithic interferometers, where diffraction slabs are cut into a single crystal, are particularly attractive in the latter contexts due to their unsurpassed thermal and mechanical stability. However, up till now no monolithic interferometers for atoms have been realised, because atoms cannot penetrate the diffraction slabs. This project presents a completely new idea: A reflective monolithic atom interferometer with reflective slabs cut into a silicon monolith. Two configurations are considered: i) Surface Diffraction: Scattering at the intermolecular potential of Si(111)-H(1x1) (can be used with light atom beams only) and ii) Quantum diffraction: scattering at the dispersion potential from a blazed grating (can be used with all atom beams). The aim of this project is to provide a theoretical model of the new interferometer based on realistic experimental conditions and use the model to evaluate the new instrument for dark matter/gravitational waves exploration, prospecting and navigation applications. The project connects interdisciplinary expertise - the applicant Dr. Fiedler, expert on the theoretical description of matter-wave optical devices, Prof. Holst, expert on matter wave instrumentation, machine learning expert, Ass. Prof. Parviainen and theoretical particle physicist Prof. Kersten. The applicant will learn machine learning techniques, while improving several transferable skills, including scientific and grant application writing, open data and research management and science communication skills.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN · BergenCoordinatorNorway
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union