Demonstration of an Area-Enclosing Guided-Atom Interferometer for Rotation Sensing

Abstract

We demonstrate area-enclosing atom interferometry based on a moving guide. Light pulses along the free-propagation direction of a magnetic guide are applied to split and recombine the confined atomic matter-wave, while the atoms are translated back and forth along a second direction in 50 ms. The interferometer is estimated to resolve 10 times the earth rotation rate per interferometry cycle. We demonstrate a "folded figure 8'' interfering configuration for creating a compact, large-area atom gyroscope with multiple-turn interfering paths.