Optimal Matterwave Gravimetry

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the limits of matterwave gravimetry using Fisher information and proposes modifications to improve measurement sensitivity beyond current Mach-Zehnder interferometry.

Contribution

It identifies the suboptimality of current methods and introduces a simple modification to significantly enhance gravimetric sensitivity.

Findings

Current Mach-Zehnder interferometry does not fully utilize the potential of matterwave sensors.

Resolving either momentum or position can greatly improve sensitivity.

A simple modification can more than double the sensor's sensitivity.

Abstract

We calculate quantum and classical Fisher informations for gravity sensors based on matterwave interference, and find that current Mach-Zehnder interferometry is not optimally extracting the full metrological potential of these sensors. We show that by making measurements that resolve either the momentum or the position we can considerably improve the sensitivity. We also provide a simple modification that is capable of more than doubling the sensitivity.