The new apparatus is based on an atomic fountain interferometer. A sample of ultra-cold atoms (BEC) is prepared in an optical trap. The atoms are launched vertically with an initial velocity (≈ 2 m/s) using an optical lattice which transfers momenta of optical photons to the atoms. A sequence of laser pulses acts as beamsplitters and mirrors for the atoms, splitting the atom wave-function into a coherent superposition between two trajectories, and then recombining them in order to interfere. In our setup, we plan a large momentum transfer from an optical lattice to atoms leading to a large separation between the two paths of the interferometer. At the output of the interferometers the atom population oscillates according to the accumulated phase shift. The atom population is measured with the induced fluorescence emitted by the atoms in both outputs of the interferometer.

One of the prospects in fundamental physics is to measure the electrical neutrality of matter. All experimental evidence to date indicates that atoms are electrically neutral (the electron and proton charge magnitudes are equal and that of neutron charge is zero) within a small error: 10^-21 the elementary charge. The origin of the extremely fine tuning might be considered as a hint for new physics beyond the standard model. Indeed, the atom neutrality is strongly connected to the electric charge quantization. This remarkable property is a natural consequence in superstring models or grand unified groups, but also conventional extensions to the standard model could lead to charge quantization. On the contrary, some new theoritical models proposed dequantization of the electric charge either in the framework of extension to the SM or using assumptions beyond the SM.

The measurement of the atom neutrality with an atom interferometer is based on the scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect. This effect consists in applying opposite electric potentials ±V on the two interferometer arms. These electric potentials are turned on only when the atom is inside the electrode assembly where the electric potential is constant and the electric field is cancelled, so that the atom does not feel any force. However, if the atom carries a non-zero electric charge, its electrostatic energy is modified and this modification gives rise to a phase shift proportional to the electric charge, to the applied voltage V and to the duration τ of the voltage pulse. To perform such an experiment it will be necessary to separate the atoms by several cm, in order to have clear separated interaction zones and long duration of the voltage pulse. The smallest measurable charge with our interferometer, depends on the sensitivity of the interferometer. This new method can potentially surpass by orders of magnitude below the current bounds.

We are developping BEC source on a chip. The source combines on a chip, the magnetic trapping with microscopic wires and an optical dipole trap. It will also be possible to condense two isotopes of rubidium. This experiment will test new solutions in atom optics engineering which might have an impact in technological applications for transportable or on-board applications like inertial sensors and geodesy.

With the hybrid solution, the atoms can be loaded efficiently in a pure optical trap by turning off carefully the magnetic field. Because of the specific collisional properties of the 85Rb, a pure optical trap is essential to obtain a Bose Einstein condensate with this isotope. The strategy to get the dual-species BEC consists in finishing the cooling of the two rubidium isotopes in the same optical trap. The optical trap is also essential to avoid magnetic fields which could be harmful for precision measurements.

We moved to new labs !!

June 2022

We moved the BEC interferometer experiment and the atom chip experiment in new labs. Ready for new challenges in this amazing building.

Characterization of an atom interferometer in the quasi-Bragg regime

March 2022

We present a joint experimental and theoretical study of atom interferometers using BEC manipulated by an optical lattice in the quasi-Bragg regime. The results focus on the diffraction losses and multiport features, which could guide the future studies of atom interferometry.

 Phys. Rev. A 105, 033302 (2022)

80 hk LMT Interferometer 

February 2021

We demonstrate a 80 hk LMT interferometer using a sequence of 1st order Bragg pulses. The total duration of the interferometer is 10 ms and the phase sensitivity is 20 mrad shot-to-shot.

Interference pattern with a BEC-interferometer

November 2020

We got an atom interferometer in the so-called Mach-Zehnder configuration. The beamsplitters and mirror are made with 1st order Bragg diffraction. The fringe visibility is 0.8. The interaction Time between the Bragg pulses is 2ms. 

Zeeman state preparation of the BEC

September 2020

Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in a crossed dipole trap, purified to any one spin projection state by a spin-distillation process applied during the evaporation to BEC.

Rabi flopping between two momentum states

February 2020

A vertical optical lattice interacts with a BEC to drive first order Bragg diffraction. We have shown Rabi oscillation between momentum states separated by 2hk.

Cold atoms into the new atom chip setup

June 2019

We have loaded 10 millions atoms in the magnetic trap created with the microscopic chip made in LAAS. This experiment aims at developing efficient ultra-cold atoms sources for onboard atom interferometers.

Response of an interferometers based on sequential light pulses

January 2019

We calculated the sensitivity function of a LMT-interferometers using sequential accelerating light pulses. The sensitivity to laser phase fluctuations is calculated, and we show that the pulse sequence can be engineered to mitigate the phase noise sensitivity. 

J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 52 (2019) 015003.

HOORAY ! We get our Rubidium BEC

December 2018

Bose-Einstein condensate of rubidium atoms are obtained using an all-optical trap based on a crossed dipole trap generated by a 50W multi-mode fiber laser (1064 nm) and a 6 W dimple trap at 1560 nm. Pure BEC with more than 40 000 atoms are obtained every 5 seconds.

⁸⁵Rb and ⁸⁷Rb Mirror-MOT observed in the new vacuum Chamber !

 January 2017

 We load 5 billions cold atoms of rubidium 85 and 87 in a magneto-optical trap near the surface of an atom chip.

Review of Scientific Instruments 88, 113115 (2017)

Atom interferomtry team and visitors

June 2016

Sina, Kessi, Maxime, Boris, Alex, Julien, Elise, Julien, Jean-Philippe, Gilles, Jacques.