Twin matter waves for interferometry beyond the classical limit

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how spin dynamics in Bose-Einstein condensates can generate entangled atomic ensembles, enabling interferometry that surpasses the classical shot noise limit, thus advancing quantum metrology capabilities.

Contribution

It introduces a method to produce large entangled atomic ensembles using spin dynamics, achieving sensitivity beyond the shot noise limit in atom interferometry.

Findings

Achieved interferometric sensitivity 1.61 dB beyond shot noise limit.

Created ensembles of up to 10,000 pair-correlated atoms.

Paves the way for next-generation quantum-enhanced atom interferometers.

Abstract

Interferometers with atomic ensembles constitute an integral part of modern precision metrology. However, these interferometers are fundamentally restricted by the shot noise limit, which can only be overcome by creating quantum entanglement among the atoms. We used spin dynamics in Bose-Einstein condensates to create large ensembles of up to $10^4$ pair-correlated atoms with an interferometric sensitivity $-1.61^{+0.98}_{-1.1}$ dB beyond the shot noise limit. Our proof-of-principle results point the way toward a new generation of atom interferometers.