Spatial-contrast analysis in a cold-atom Sagnac interferometer with a single large Raman beam

摘要

We have developed a cold atom Sagnac interferometer with a single large Raman beam. In combination with a time-of-flight measurement performed by thin probe beams, the variation in spatial contrast of the atomic Mach-Zehnder interference was analyzed by considering the spatial intensity profile of the single large Raman beam and the spatial density profile of the atomic cloud. Based on our analysis, we determined that contrast enhancement is attainable using the spatial selection of the atomic cloud but it reduces angular velocity sensitivity.