Retrieval of cavity-generated atomic spin-squeezing after free-space release

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that cavity-generated spin-squeezed atomic states can be effectively retrieved after free-space release, maintaining significant squeezing for microsecond to millisecond free-fall times, with a theoretical model explaining the squeezing degradation.

Contribution

It introduces a method to retrieve and analyze spin-squeezed states after free-space release, bridging cavity-based squeezing with atom-interferometry applications.

Findings

Up to 10 dB of squeezing retrieved after 700 microseconds free-fall.

Squeezing decays over 3 milliseconds due to atom-cavity coupling loss.

A validated model explains the squeezing degradation mechanism.

Abstract

The compatibility of cavity-generated spin-squeezed atomic states with atom-interferometric sensors that require freely falling atoms is demonstrated. An ensemble of $500,000$ spin-squeezed atoms in a high-finesse optical cavity with near-uniform atom-cavity coupling is prepared, released into free space, recaptured in the cavity, and probed. Up to $\sim$10 dB of metrologically-relevant squeezing is retrieved for 700 microsecond free-fall times, and decaying levels of squeezing are realized for up to 3 millisecond free-fall times. The degradation of squeezing results from loss of atom-cavity coupling homogeneity between the initial squeezed state generation and final collective state read-out. A theoretical model is developed to quantify this degradation and this model is experimentally validated.