Ramsey interferometry using the Zeeman sublevels in a spin-2 Bose gas

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates Ramsey interferometry with Zeeman sublevels in a spin-2 Bose-Einstein condensate, revealing high-visibility fringes and potential applications in magnetometry and spinor dynamics studies.

Contribution

It introduces a method for atom interferometry using Zeeman sublevels in a spin-2 BEC, showing high fringe visibility and enhanced fringe repetition rates.

Findings

Observed strongly peaked fringes with high visibility.

Repetition rates exceed the fundamental Ramsey frequency.

Theoretical agreement with spin rotation model.

Abstract

We perform atom interferometry using the Zeeman sublevels of a spin-2 Bose-Einstein condensate of $^{87}$Rb. The observed fringes are strongly peaked, and fringe repetition rates higher than the fundamental Ramsey frequency are found in agreement with a simple theory based on spin rotations. With a suitable choice of initial states, the interferometer could function as a useful tool for magnetometry and studies of spinor dynamics in general.