Quantum-droplet interferometry

TL;DR

This paper introduces quantum droplet-based atom interferometers utilizing harmonic-oscillator and ring-shaped potentials, highlighting their potential for precise measurements like tilt, target detection, and rotation sensing.

Contribution

It presents novel interferometer configurations using quantum droplets in harmonic and ring traps, analyzing their performance and potential applications.

Findings

Optimal barrier parameters for 50:50 splitting identified

Post-recombination atom-number imbalance indicates phase difference

HO setup can function as a tilt-meter and target detector

Abstract

We propose atom interferometers based on quantum droplet (QD), which is also being reported as a superior platform for interferometry. The emphasis has been given to harmonic-oscillator (HO) or ring-shaped potentials. In the HO trap, a Gaussian barrier induces coherent splitting; in the ring, one or two barriers guide the splitting and subsequent recombination. The atom number and relative mean-field interaction strength critically affect the interferometric performance. The transmission-coefficient analysis identifies values of the barrier parameters for the balanced $50:50$ splitting. The post-recombination atom-number imbalance serves as a sensitive indicator of the relative phase between merging daughter QDs. We demonstrate that the HO-based setup may serve as a tilt-meter and target detector, and the ring geometry may be used as a compact QD Sagnac interferometer for rotation sensing.