Journal ArticleDOI
Measurement of gravitational acceleration by dropping atoms
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In this article, an atom interferometer based on a fountain of laser-cooled atoms was used to measure the acceleration of gravity, achieving an absolute uncertainty of Δg/g ≈ 3 × 10−9.Abstract:
Laser-cooling of atoms and atom-trapping are finding increasing application in many areas of science1 One important use of laser-cooled atoms is in atom interferometers2 In these devices, an atom is placed into a superposition of two or more spatially separated atomic states; these states are each described by a quantum-mechanical phase term, which will interfere with one another if they are brought back together at a later time Atom interferometers have been shown to be very precise inertial sensors for acceleration3,4, rotation5 and for the measurement of the fine structure constant6 Here we use an atom interferometer based on a fountain of laser-cooled atoms to measure g, the acceleration of gravity Through detailed investigation and elimination of systematic effects that may affect the accuracy ofthe measurement, we achieve an absolute uncertainty of Δg/g ≈ 3 × 10−9, representing a million-fold increase in absoluteaccuracy compared with previous atom-interferometer experiments7 We also compare our measurement with the value of g obtained at the same laboratory site using a Michelson interferometer gravimeter (a modern equivalent of Galileo's ‘leaning tower’ experiment in Pisa) We show that the macroscopic glass object used in this instrument falls with the same acceleration, to within 7 parts in 109, as a quantum-mechanical caesium atomread more
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Quantum sensing
Abstract: "Quantum sensing" describes the use of a quantum system, quantum properties or quantum phenomena to perform a measurement of a physical quantity Historical examples of quantum sensors include magnetometers based on superconducting quantum interference devices and atomic vapors, or atomic clocks More recently, quantum sensing has become a distinct and rapidly growing branch of research within the area of quantum science and technology, with the most common platforms being spin qubits, trapped ions and flux qubits The field is expected to provide new opportunities - especially with regard to high sensitivity and precision - in applied physics and other areas of science In this review, we provide an introduction to the basic principles, methods and concepts of quantum sensing from the viewpoint of the interested experimentalist
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Cold and ultracold molecules: science, technology and applications
TL;DR: A review of the current state of the art in the research field of cold and ultracold molecules can be found in this paper, where a discussion is based on recent experimental and theoretical work and concludes with a summary of anticipated future directions and open questions in rapidly expanding research field.
Journal ArticleDOI
Optics and interferometry with atoms and molecules
TL;DR: The development of wave optics for light brought many new insights into our understanding of physics, driven by fundamental experiments like the ones by Young, Fizeau, Michelson-Morley and others as mentioned in this paper.
Journal ArticleDOI
Search for New Physics with Atoms and Molecules
Marianna Safronova,Dmitry Budker,David DeMille,Derek F. Jackson Kimball,Andrei Derevianko,Charles W. Clark +5 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a review of the application of atomic physics to address important challenges in physics and to look for variations in the fundamental constants, search for interactions beyond the standard model of particle physics and test the principles of general relativity.
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High-precision gravity measurements using atom interferometry
TL;DR: In this article, an atom interferometer that can measure g, the local acceleration due to gravity, with a resolution of Δg/g = 2 × 10−8 after a single 1.3 s measurement cycle was built.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Formation of very strongly magnetized neutron stars - Implications for gamma-ray bursts
TL;DR: In this article, it is argued that a convective dynamo can also generate a very strong dipole field after the merger of a neutron star binary, but only if the merged star survives for as long as about 10-100 ms.
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Theory of pulsars: polar gaps, sparks, and coherent microwave radiation
Ruderman,P.G. Sutherland +1 more
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Pulsar distances and the galactic distribution of free electrons
J. H. Taylor,James M. Cordes +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a quantitative model for the Galactic free electron distribution, which abandons the assumption of axisymmetry and explicitly incorporates spiral arms; their shapes and locations are derived from existing radio and optical observations of H II regions.
Journal ArticleDOI
An X-ray pulsar with a superstrong magnetic field in the soft γ-ray repeater SGR1806 − 20
Chryssa Kouveliotou,Chryssa Kouveliotou,S. Dieters,S. Dieters,Tod E. Strohmayer,Tod E. Strohmayer,J. van Paradijs,Gerald J. Fishman,Charles A. Meegan,Kevin Hurley,Jefferson M. Kommers,Ian Smith,Dale A. Frail,Toshio Murakami +13 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reported the discovery of pulsations in the persistent X-ray flux of SGR1806-20, with a period of 7.47 s and a spindown rate of 2.6 x 10(exp -3) s/yr.