Delocalization-enhanced Bloch oscillations and driven resonant tunneling in optical lattices for precision force measurements

TL;DR

This paper investigates methods for precise force measurement using matter-wave packets in optical lattices, focusing on Bloch oscillations, delocalization, and resonant tunneling, with experimental results demonstrating high sensitivity and potential for improved accuracy.

Contribution

It introduces and compares new techniques for detecting Bloch oscillations and resonant tunneling in optical lattices, enhancing the precision of atomic force sensors.

Findings

Observation of resonant tunneling up to the sixth harmonic

Analysis of factors limiting sensor sensitivity and accuracy

Proposals for setup improvements to surpass current precision

Abstract

In this paper we describe and compare different methods used for accurate determination of forces acting on matter-wave packets in optical lattices. The quantum interference nature responsible for the production of both Bloch oscillations and coherent delocalization is investigated in detail. We study conditions for optimal detection of Bloch oscillation for a thermal ensemble of cold atoms with a large velocity spread. We report on the experimental observation of resonant tunneling in an amplitude-modulated (AM) optical lattice up to the sixth harmonic with Fourier-limited linewidth. We then explore the fundamental and technical phenomena which limit both the sensitivity and the final accuracy of the atomic force sensor at 10^{-7} precision level [1], with an analysis of the coherence time of the system and addressing few simple setup changes to go beyond the current accuracy.