Optimal squeezing for high-precision atom interferometers

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that tailored squeezing of atomic states can surpass fundamental interaction-induced limits in high-precision atom interferometers, enabling improved sensitivity for applications like gravitational-wave detection.

Contribution

It introduces a method of optimizing squeezing to counteract interaction effects, enhancing interferometer precision beyond traditional limits.

Findings

Tailored squeezing overcomes interaction limitations

Enhanced sensitivity in differential matter-wave interferometers

Potential applications in gravitational-wave detection

Abstract

We show that squeezing is a crucial resource for interferometers based on the spatial separation of ultra-cold interacting matter. Atomic interactions lead to a general limitation for the precision of these atom interferometers, which can neither be surpassed by larger atom numbers nor by conventional phase or number squeezing. However, tailored squeezed states allow to overcome this sensitivity bound by anticipating the major detrimental effect that arises from the interactions. We envisage applications in future high-precision differential matter-wave interferometers, in particular gradiometers, e.g., for gravitational-wave detection.