Photonically integrated atomic circuits
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Strathclyde
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Ultracold atoms are a very useful tool for building practical measurement devices. A critical area of application of Quantum Technologies is in position, navigation, and timing. Secure access to GNSS is not guaranteed or even possible in many application spaces, and alternative methods that offer resilient PNT are needed. This project will exam a next-generation approach to wave-guided matter-wave interferometers for inertial sensing of rotations.
One of the key aims of our research is the demonstration of a device using integrated optics for interferometry. Integrating the topical and atomic efforts onto a single platform offers improvements in device stability due to common-mode rejection of noise, and in scalability of production. This project will build on our existing activities at Strathclyde in atom interferometry with coherent matter waves and work on ring-shaped guided traps to address the technological advances for developing miniaturised technology for rotation sensing.
Optical ring traps are also a versatile tool to trap ultracold atoms. A coherent matter wave confined in a ring trap is equivalent to the coherent optical field (laser) in a ring cavity known from the ring laser gyro. The interesting difference is that the sensitivity to phase rotation scales with the relativistic energy of the particle/wave involved. For atoms that is about eleven orders of magnitude larger than light. For a practical realisation this is not all achievable as the enclosed area will be smaller as will be the number of particles detected. However, a significantly increased sensitivity seems achievable. If we estimate the signal (interferometer phase shift) obtained from the Earth rotation we find that 1 km of fibre wound on a 10 cm diameter gives a shift of 0.1 mrad, whereas a realisable 3 mm diameter atom interferometer will see a shift of more than 1 rad.
This project seeks to integrate several emerging technologies from integrated optics and nano-fabrication to the challenge of integrated photonic-atomic chips. This effort will both gain from and inform development of other quantum technologies, such as miniaturised atomic clocks.
The studentship is aligned to the Programme Grant "Chip-scale Atomic Systems for a Quantum Navigator"
One of the key aims of our research is the demonstration of a device using integrated optics for interferometry. Integrating the topical and atomic efforts onto a single platform offers improvements in device stability due to common-mode rejection of noise, and in scalability of production. This project will build on our existing activities at Strathclyde in atom interferometry with coherent matter waves and work on ring-shaped guided traps to address the technological advances for developing miniaturised technology for rotation sensing.
Optical ring traps are also a versatile tool to trap ultracold atoms. A coherent matter wave confined in a ring trap is equivalent to the coherent optical field (laser) in a ring cavity known from the ring laser gyro. The interesting difference is that the sensitivity to phase rotation scales with the relativistic energy of the particle/wave involved. For atoms that is about eleven orders of magnitude larger than light. For a practical realisation this is not all achievable as the enclosed area will be smaller as will be the number of particles detected. However, a significantly increased sensitivity seems achievable. If we estimate the signal (interferometer phase shift) obtained from the Earth rotation we find that 1 km of fibre wound on a 10 cm diameter gives a shift of 0.1 mrad, whereas a realisable 3 mm diameter atom interferometer will see a shift of more than 1 rad.
This project seeks to integrate several emerging technologies from integrated optics and nano-fabrication to the challenge of integrated photonic-atomic chips. This effort will both gain from and inform development of other quantum technologies, such as miniaturised atomic clocks.
The studentship is aligned to the Programme Grant "Chip-scale Atomic Systems for a Quantum Navigator"
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Paul Griffin (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Anaïs Dorne (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/W524670/1 | 30/09/2022 | 29/09/2028 | |||
| 2913498 | Studentship | EP/W524670/1 | 31/03/2024 | 29/09/2027 | Anaïs Dorne |