Characterizing atom clouds using a charge-coupled device for atom-interferometry-based G measurements

Area of Science:

• Atomic physics
• Quantum sensing
• Metrology

Background:

• Atom interferometry requires precise knowledge of atom cloud positions and sizes.
• Current characterization methods may lack the necessary precision for advanced G measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a high-precision method for characterizing atom clouds using a charge-coupled device (CCD).
• To investigate and mitigate the influence of probe beams on atom cloud position measurements.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a CCD to capture fluorescence images of atom clouds.
• Implementing in-situ calibration with free-fall distance as a reference for imaging magnification.
• Employing a differential measurement technique by reversing probe beam direction to correct positional errors.

Main Results:

• Atom cloud parameters (position, size) extracted from CCD fluorescence images.
• Sub-millimeter precision achieved in atom cloud characterization.
• A differential measurement method effectively suppressed probe beam influence.

Conclusions:

• The presented CCD-based method offers a precise and reliable approach for atom cloud characterization.
• This technique enhances the accuracy of atom interferometry for G measurements.
• The differential measurement strategy improves the robustness of positional data.