Domaines
Quantum optics/Atomic physics/Laser
Metrology
Type of internship
Expérimental Description
We have developed a state-of-the-art cold atom gravimeter with free-falling 87Rb atoms, which experience a sequence of Raman pulses driven by counter-propagating vertical lasers. The atom interferometer phase shift is proportional to g, that we measure with better performances than conventional state of the art gravimeters. Limits have been identified and several improvements will be made to reach the 10-10 range both in term of accuracy and stability.
We will implement a crossed dipole trap with a 50W laser at 1.1μm to freeze atom source to nK range to tackle the wavefront aberration bias. A new rotatable retro-reflexion mirror for the Raman lasers will be installed. This will improve our control of the laser alignment and allow to compensate Coriolis acceleration. In order to improve our control on the initial position of the atoms, new MOT collimators will be installed, as well as an innovative fiber splitter system for the control of the powers in each MOT beam.
We will optimize the evaporation sequence, by increasing the capture volume of the trap using modulation techniques. Yet, a drawback when using dense samples of ultracold atoms, eventually Bose-Einstein condensed, instead of a more dilute laser cooled source, arises from the effect of interatomic interactions, which we will also investigate. The obtained uncertainty budget and sensitivity performances will finally be tested during comparisons with absolute and superconducting gravimeters.
Contact
Sébastien Merlet