Momentum Entanglement for Atom Interferometry

Phys Rev Lett. 2021 Oct 1;127(14):140402. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.140402.

Abstract

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.