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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Implementation of a Reference Interferometer for Nanodetection

Implementation of a Reference Interferometer for Nanodetection

Published on: April 26, 2014

Observation of free-space single-atom matter wave interference.

L P Parazzoli¹, A M Hankin, G W Biedermann

¹Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA.

Physical Review Letters

|February 2, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

We demonstrate single cesium atom interference in free fall, creating a highly sensitive absolute acceleration sensor. This technique achieves micron-scale spatial resolution and detects forces as small as 3.2×10(-27) N.

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Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source

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Area of Science:

Quantum physics
Atomic physics
Interferometry

Background:

Matter wave interference is a cornerstone of quantum mechanics.
Atom interferometers are sensitive tools for precision measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

To observe matter wave interference of a single cesium atom in free fall.
To characterize the interferometer as an absolute sensor of acceleration.
To probe the velocity distribution and temperature of a single atom.

Main Methods:

Utilizing a free-space interferometer for single cesium atoms.
Observing the build-up of interference patterns atom by atom.
Employing the coherence length of the atom wave packet as a measurement metric.

Main Results:

Demonstrated matter wave interference for a single cesium atom in free fall.
Achieved sensitivity to forces at the 3.2×10(-27) N level.
Attained micron-scale spatial resolution.
Measured the velocity distribution and temperature of a single free-falling atom.

Conclusions:

Single-atom interferometry in free fall provides an absolute measure of acceleration.
The technique offers unprecedented sensitivity and spatial resolution.
This method allows direct probing of single-atom quantum properties like velocity and temperature.