Multi-loop atomic Sagnac interferometry

TL;DR

This paper proposes a scalable multi-loop atom interferometer design using light pulses, aiming to significantly enhance rotation sensitivity for applications like Earth rotation monitoring.

Contribution

It introduces a novel concept for a multi-loop atom interferometer with scalable area formed by light pulses, addressing previous experimental challenges.

Findings

Potential sensitivity of 2×10⁻¹¹ rad/s at 1 s

Long-term stability suitable for Earth rotation monitoring

Scalable design for enhanced rotation measurement

Abstract

The sensitivity of light and matter-wave interferometers to rotations is based on the Sagnac effect and increases with the area enclosed by the interferometer. In the case of light, the latter can be enlarged by forming multiple fibre loops, whereas the equivalent for matter-wave interferometers remains an experimental challenge. We present a concept for a multi-loop atom interferometer with a scalable area formed by light pulses. Our method will offer sensitivities as high as $2\cdot10^{-11}$ rad/s at 1 s in combination with the respective long-term stability as required for Earth rotation monitoring.