CORSAIR: COheRent Source for Atom InteRferometer
Research project selected under the 2013 call for proposals
Principal Investigator :
Alexandre Gauguet ()
LCAR (Equipe interférométrie atomique/Atom Interferometry team)
Type of project : Disruptive Project
Date (start/end) : 2014 - 2016
We will create a new Bose Einstein Condensate source combining recent developments in atom chip and macroscopic hybrid atom traps. The new hybrid atom chip will Bose-condense 87Rb and 85Rb simultaneously in order to realised a very sensitive atom interferometer. This project will contribute the very stimulating field of atom optics engineering and it will be exploited for atom neutrality measurements
Abstract
A Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) produces the matter wave equivalent of a laser in optics. It is therefore of great interest to investigate whether BEC-based interferometry could lead to a similar revolution as the one with laser in optical interferometry. The goal of this project is to develop a novel BEC source for matter wave interferometry. We propose a source which combines on a chip the magnetic trapping with microscopic wires and an optical dipole trap. The source will produce a BEC with a high duty cycle and with a high flux compatible with transportable applications. It will also be possible to condense two isotopes of rubidium as required for various applications in particular for space missions. The specific objectives of this project are:
1. Implement a laser system capable of simultaneous laser cooling and trapping of two rubidium isotopes.
2. Produce BEC source of dual-species (rubidium 85 and 87) on an atom chip.