A quantum sensor: simultaneous precision gravimetry and magnetic gradiometry with a Bose-Einstein condensate

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a Bose-Einstein condensate-based quantum sensor capable of simultaneously measuring gravity and magnetic field gradients with high precision using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method combining a large spinor condensate and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer for dual-parameter high-precision sensing.

Findings

Achieved gravity measurement precision of 2.1×10⁻⁹ Δg/g

Measured magnetic field gradient with 8 pT/m accuracy

Utilized a 5 million atom Bose-Einstein condensate in free fall

Abstract

A Bose-Einstein condensate is used as an atomic source for a high precision sensor. A $5\times 10^6$ atom F=1 spinor condensate of $^{87}$Rb is released into free fall for up to $750$ms and probed with a Mach-Zehnder atom interferometer based on Bragg transitions. The Bragg interferometer simultaneously addresses the three magnetic states, $\left| m_f=1,0,-1 \right\rangle$, facilitating a simultaneous measurement of the acceleration due to gravity with an asymptotic precision of $2.1\times 10^{-9}$$\Delta$g/g and the magnetic field gradient to a precision $8$pT/m.