RESUMO
Compared to light interferometers, the flux in cold-atom interferometers is low and the associated shot noise is large. Sensitivities beyond these limitations require the preparation of entangled atoms in different momentum modes. Here, we demonstrate a source of entangled atoms that is compatible with state-of-the-art interferometers. Entanglement is transferred from the spin degree of freedom of a Bose-Einstein condensate to well-separated momentum modes, witnessed by a squeezing parameter of -3.1(8) dB. Entanglement-enhanced atom interferometers promise unprecedented sensitivities for quantum gradiometers or gravitational wave detectors.
RESUMO
We report on the design, construction, and characterization of a 10 m-long high-performance magnetic shield for very long baseline atom interferometry. We achieve residual fields below 4 nT and longitudinal inhomogeneities below 2.5 nT/m over 8 m along the longitudinal direction. Our modular design can be extended to longer baselines without compromising the shielding performance. Such a setup constrains biases associated with magnetic field gradients to the sub-pm/s2 level in atomic matterwave accelerometry with rubidium atoms and paves the way toward tests of the universality of free fall with atomic test masses beyond the 10-13 level.