Bose-Einstein Condensate Comagnetometer

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel Bose-Einstein condensate-based comagnetometer using hyperfine states of rubidium-87, achieving high common-mode rejection and extended spin lifetime for sensitive magnetic field measurements.

Contribution

The work demonstrates a new comagnetometer design employing hyperfine manifolds of a spinor BEC, with improved spin lifetime and noise rejection capabilities.

Findings

44 dB common-mode rejection achieved

Hyperfine interactions extend spin lifetime to ~1 second

Potential applications in high-precision physics experiments

Abstract

We describe a comagnetometer employing the $f=1$ and $f=2$ ground state hyperfine manifolds of a $^{87}$Rb spinor Bose-Einstein condensate as co-located magnetometers. The hyperfine manifolds feature nearly opposite gyromagnetic ratios and thus the sum of their precession angles is only weakly coupled to external magnetic fields, while being highly sensitive to any effect that rotates both manifolds in the same way. The $f=1$ and $f=2$ transverse magnetizations and azimuth angles are independently measured by non-destructive Faraday rotation probing, and we demonstrate a $44.0(8)\text{dB}$ common-mode rejection in good agreement with theory. We show how spin-dependent interactions can be used to inhibit $2\rightarrow 1$ hyperfine relaxing collisions, extending to $\sim 1\text{s}$ the transverse spin lifetime of the $f=1,2$ mixtures. The technique could be used in high sensitivity searches for new physics on sub-millimeter length scales, precision studies of ultra-cold collision physics, and angle-resolved studies of quantum spin dynamics.