Quantum Tunneling for Matter-wave Gravimetry

One promising candidate for high-precision gravimetry is atom interferometry. In contrast to light in optical interferometers, matter waves consisting of massive particles couple strongly to gravity, making them a tool suitable for gravimetry. In addition to gravity, the motion of atomic wave packets is manipulated by optical potentials that trap, guide or diffract the atoms. Contrary to classical waves, quantum physics allows for tunneling through forbidden regions and thus offers an additional tool to influence the atomic motion.

The combination of quantum tunneling and atom interferometers leads to gravimeters based on an analogue to optical Fabry-Pérot cavities [1]. In this contribution, we theoretically study the transmission spectrum of matter-wave Fabry-Pérot interferometers, present their sensitivity to accelerations and discuss their applicability to gravimetry. Similar to optical Fabry-Pérot cavities that act as monochromators, matter-wave devices introduce a velocity filtering, allowing to select specific momenta of the atomic wave packet. In addition to this effect, we study the preparation of a quantum gas inside the cavity and its asymmetry in tunneling, an effect that has no direct optical analogue.

[1] P. Schach, A. Friedrich, J. R. Williams, W. P. Schleich, and E. Giese, Tunneling gravimetry, EPJ Quantum Technology 9, 20 (2022)