Atom Michelson interferometer on a chip using a Bose-Einstein condensate

Phys Rev Lett. 2005 Mar 11;94(9):090405. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.090405. Epub 2005 Mar 11.

Abstract

An atom Michelson interferometer is implemented on an "atom chip." The chip uses lithographically patterned conductors and external magnetic fields to produce and guide a Bose-Einstein condensate. Splitting, reflecting, and recombining of condensate atoms are achieved by a standing-wave light field having a wave vector aligned along the atom waveguide. A differential phase shift between the two arms of the interferometer is introduced by either a magnetic-field gradient or with an initial condensate velocity. Interference contrast is still observable at 20% with an atom propagation time of 10 ms.