Matter-Wave Interferometry With Laser Cooled Atoms

摘要

We have developed a cold atomic beam source to be used as the input beam for athree-grating atom interferometer. Using laser cooling and trapping techniques, we have slowed and cooled a thermal atomic beam, trapped the slow atoms, and redirected them into a cold beam with an adjustable velocity. The cold atomic beam has a temperature of approximately 500 microK and has a controllable velocity from 2-20 in/s. The gratings for the interferometer have been microfabricated in silicon nitride and have a grating spacing of 250 nm.