LKB - Metrology of simple systems and fundamental tests

ATOM INTERFEROMETRY

S. Guellati-Khélifa, P. Cladé

SOME PUBLICATIONS

Determination of the fine-structure constant with an accuracy of 81 parts per trillion, Léo Morel, Zhibin Yao, Pierre Cladé, Saïda Guellati-Khelifa
Nature 588, 61–65 (2020)

Observation of Extra Photon Recoil in a Distorted Optical Field, Satyanarayana Bade, Lionel Djadaojee, Manuel Andia, Pierre Cladé, and Saïda Guellati-Khelifa Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 073603 (2018) ( arXiv:1712.04023 )

New determination of the fine structure constant and test of the quantum electrodynamics,
Rym Bouchendira, Pierre Cladé, Saïda Guellati-Khélifa, François Nez, and François Biraben
Phys. Rev. Lett. 106 080801 (2011)
(pdf)

PEOPLE

Saïda Guellati-Khélifa
Pierre Cladé
François Biraben

Cyrille Solaro (post-doc)
Zhibin Yao (PhD)
Correntin Carrez (PhD)
Clément Debavelaere

Determination of h/M on atomic rubidium

We use Bloch oscillations to accelerate ultracold rubidium atoms. The measurement of their final velocity is a way to determine very accurately the ratio h/M between the Planck constant and the atomic mass and thus to deduce the fine structure constant. We have accelerated the atoms in a vertical optical lattice and obtained a determination of the fine structure constant with a relative uncertainty of 81 ppt. Our experiment leads to the most precise value of α.

New concepts in atom interferometer

In recent years new approaches of atom interferometry were proposed to push the sensitivity of such devices beyond the state of the art. The use of an atomic source issued from Bose-Einstein condensate is crucial, both for the realization of large momentum atomic beam splitters and for large-scale atomic interferometers. We are currently developing a new experimental set-up based on evaporative cooling of Rubidium atoms in dipole trap.

PhD thesis

 

Léo Morel (2018)

Clément Courvoisier (2016)

Raphaël Jannin (2015)

Manuel Andia (2015)

Rym Bouchendira (2012)

Malo Cadoret (2008)

Pierre Cladé (2005)

Rémy Battesti (2003)