J.-L. Le Gouët

Compact laser system for atom interferometry

We describe an optical bench in which we lock the relative frequencies or phases of a set of three lasers in order to use them in a cold atom interferometry experiment. As a new feature, the same two lasers serve alternately to cool atoms and to realize the atomic interferometer. This requires a fast change of the optical frequencies over a few GHz. The number of required independent laser sources is then only three, which enables the construction of the whole laser system on a single transportable optical bench. Recent results obtained with this optical setup are also presented.

10-GHz bandwidth RF spectral analyzer with MHz resolution based on spectral hole burning in Tm/sup 3+/:YAG

We demonstrate the first 10-GHz instantaneous bandwidth radio-frequency spectrum analyzer based on spectral hole burning in Tm/sup 3+/:YAG. It exhibits 10 000 frequency channels and a resolution better than 1 MHz. Thanks to the fast and linear chirping capabilities of the laser used, it has a potential 100% probability of interception and a response time in the millisecond range. Its linear dynamic range of 16 dB is presently essentially limited by the modest amount of optical power available and can be further improved.

Operating an atom interferometer beyond its linear range

In this paper, we show that an atom interferometer inertial sensor, when associated with the auxiliary measurement of external vibrations, can be operated beyond its linear range and still keep a high acceleration sensitivity. We propose and compare two measurement procedures (fringe fitting and non-linear lock) that can be used to extract, without adding any bias, the mean phase of the interferometer when the interferometer phase fluctuations exceed 2?. Despite operating in the urban environment of inner Paris without any vibration isolation, the use of a low noise seismometer for the measurement of ground vibrations allows our atom gravimeter to reach at night a sensitivity as good as 5.5 ? 10?8g at 1?s. Robustness of the measurement to large vibration noise is also demonstrated by the ability of our gravimeter to operate during an earthquake with excellent sensitivity. For such low vibration frequency though, high pass filtering of the seismometer degrades its correlation with the interferometer signal, so that low frequency seismic vibrations appear on the gravity measurement. Nevertheless, our high repetition rate allows for efficient sampling of these perturbations, ensuring proper averaging. Such techniques open new perspectives for applications in other fields, such as navigation and geophysics.

High-resolution radio frequency spectral analysis with photon echo chirp transform in an Er:YSO crystal

We demonstrate implementation of the chirp transform algorithm with photon echoes in an Er/sup 3+/:YSO crystal at 1536 nm for application to spectral analysis of RF signals. The principle and features of the technique are presented using a simple picture in the time-frequency plane. Experimental results with low-bandwidth RF signals demonstrate 40-kHz spectral resolution and a time-bandwidth product of 500. Extension to broad-band RF signals is discussed.

Influence of lasers propagation delay on the sensitivity of atom interferometers

Abstract.In atom interferometers based on two photon transitions, the delay induced by the difference of the laser beams paths makes the interferometer sensitive to the fluctuations of the frequency of the lasers. We first study, in the general case, how the laser frequency noise affects the performance of the interferometer measurement. Our calculations are compared with the measurements performed on our cold atom gravimeter based on stimulated Raman transitions. We finally extend this study to the case of cold atom gradiometers.

Electron spectrometry study of associative and penning ionization in laser excited sodium vapor

Abstract The first observation, by electron spectrometry, is reported in laser-excited sodium vapor of the primary low energy electrons produced by associative ionization and by Penning ionization of sodium atoms in highly excited n1 states. The sequential heating of these primary electrons has been observed in 1, 2 or 3 superelastic collisions with Na(3p) atoms. The variation of associative ionization was measured as a function of the excited state density by using inner-shell photoionization produced by synchrotron radiation. Finally, an associative ionization cross section of 3.8 X 10-17 cm2 and a Penning ionization cross section for the 5s state of 1.1 X 10-12 cm2 were found (within 50% uncertainty) for an oven temperature of 520 K.

Experimental tailoring of a three-level Λ system in Tm 3 + : YAG

Quantum information transfer from light to atom ensembles and vice versa has both basic and practical importance. Among the relevant topics let us mention entanglement and decoherence of macroscopic systems, together with applications to quantum memory for long distance quantum cryptography. Although the first experimental demonstrations have been performed in atomic vapors and clouds, rare earth ion doped crystals are also interesting media for such processes. In this paper we address

Time-to-frequency Fourier transformation with photon echoes

{\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}

Active stabilization of a rapidly chirped laser by an optoelectronic digital servo-loop control.

ions capability to behave as three-level

Off-resonant Raman transition impact in an atom interferometer

\ensuremath{\Lambda}