Optics and interferometry with atoms and molecules
Interference with atomic and molecular matter waves is a rich branch of atomic physics and quantum optics. It started with atom diffraction from crystal surfaces and the separated oscillatory fields technique used in atomic clocks. Atom interferometry is now reaching maturity as a powerful art with...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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American Physical Society
2010
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/52372 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5697-1496 |
| _version_ | 1826189161738010624 |
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| author | Cronin, Alexander D. Schmiedmayer, Jorg Pritchard, David E. |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics Cronin, Alexander D. Schmiedmayer, Jorg Pritchard, David E. |
| author_sort | Cronin, Alexander D. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Interference with atomic and molecular matter waves is a rich branch of atomic physics and quantum optics. It started with atom diffraction from crystal surfaces and the separated oscillatory fields technique used in atomic clocks. Atom interferometry is now reaching maturity as a powerful art with many applications in modern science. In this review the basic tools for coherent atom optics are described including diffraction by nanostructures and laser light, three-grating interferometers, and double wells on atom chips. Scientific advances in a broad range of fields that have resulted from the application of atom interferometers are reviewed. These are grouped in three categories: (i) fundamental quantum science, (ii) precision metrology, and (iii) atomic and molecular physics. Although some experiments with Bose-Einstein condensates are included, the focus of the review is on linear matter wave optics, i.e., phenomena where each single atom interferes with itself. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T08:10:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/52372 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T08:10:49Z |
| publishDate | 2010 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/523722022-09-23T11:24:20Z Optics and interferometry with atoms and molecules Cronin, Alexander D. Schmiedmayer, Jorg Pritchard, David E. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics Pritchard, David E. Pritchard, David E. Interference with atomic and molecular matter waves is a rich branch of atomic physics and quantum optics. It started with atom diffraction from crystal surfaces and the separated oscillatory fields technique used in atomic clocks. Atom interferometry is now reaching maturity as a powerful art with many applications in modern science. In this review the basic tools for coherent atom optics are described including diffraction by nanostructures and laser light, three-grating interferometers, and double wells on atom chips. Scientific advances in a broad range of fields that have resulted from the application of atom interferometers are reviewed. These are grouped in three categories: (i) fundamental quantum science, (ii) precision metrology, and (iii) atomic and molecular physics. Although some experiments with Bose-Einstein condensates are included, the focus of the review is on linear matter wave optics, i.e., phenomena where each single atom interferes with itself. 2010-03-08T16:29:04Z 2010-03-08T16:29:04Z 2009-07 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0034-6861 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/52372 Cronin, Alexander D., Jörg Schmiedmayer, and David E. Pritchard. “Optics and interferometry with atoms and molecules.” Reviews of Modern Physics 81.3 (2009): 1051. © 2009 The American Physical Society https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5697-1496 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.81.1051 Reviews of Modern Physics Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf American Physical Society APS |
| spellingShingle | Cronin, Alexander D. Schmiedmayer, Jorg Pritchard, David E. Optics and interferometry with atoms and molecules |
| title | Optics and interferometry with atoms and molecules |
| title_full | Optics and interferometry with atoms and molecules |
| title_fullStr | Optics and interferometry with atoms and molecules |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optics and interferometry with atoms and molecules |
| title_short | Optics and interferometry with atoms and molecules |
| title_sort | optics and interferometry with atoms and molecules |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/52372 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5697-1496 |
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