Spectral-Domain Coherent Control of Broadband Raman Coupling in Atom Interferometry

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a spectral control technique that broadens Raman coupling in atom interferometers, significantly improving fringe contrast and atomic participation despite Doppler broadening.

Contribution

The authors introduce a method to engineer the two-photon spectrum for broadband Raman coupling, overcoming transit-time limitations in atom interferometry.

Findings

Enhanced fringe contrast from 5.9% to 15.1% using spectral control.

Successfully addressed a Doppler broadening 17 times larger than the intrinsic linewidth.

Established spectral control as a strategy for robust atom interferometry.

Abstract

The performance of atom interferometers is commonly limited by the finite spectral acceptance of atomic beam splitters and mirrors, which restricts efficient coupling to atoms with large Doppler shifts and reduces the usable atomic flux. Here, we demonstrate spectral-domain coherent control of Raman coupling by engineering its effective two-photon spectrum. By synthesizing multiple frequency components, the Raman interaction simultaneously addresses a broad range of atomic velocities, effectively overcoming the conventional transit-time-limited linewidth. Implemented in a continuous atomic-beam Mach-Zehnder interferometer, where the transverse Doppler broadening is 17 times larger than the intrinsic Raman linewidth, this approach enhances the fringe contrast from 5.9(2)% to 15.1(2)%, indicating a substantial increase in effective atomic participation. Our results establish spectral-domain coherent control as a general strategy for achieving spectrally robust atom interferometry and open new opportunities for quantum sensing in systems with strong inhomogeneous broadening.