Light Pulse Atom Interferometry with Sodium Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates

We present recent improvements to our spinor Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) apparatus to enable light-pulse atom interferometry for quantum-enhanced inertial sensing and gravimetry. In our F=1 antiferromagnetic sodium spinor BEC, entangled pairs of atoms with magnetic quantum numbers m=+1 and m=-1 are created via spin-exchange collisions. Previous experiments by our group focused on spin-mixing interferometry where all spin states were overlapping in the trap. New modifications will allow us to perform Raman or Bragg light-pulse atom interferometry, splitting and recombining the BEC vertically. After relocation into a new lab space that offers better environmental control, we added the Raman and Bragg beam optics for light pulse atom interferometry, performed a redesign of our dipole-trap and optical system to improve shot-to-shot number stability in the BEC, designed a new magnetic field control system for more stable initial state preparation, and improved our laser locking by switching from saturated absorption spectroscopy to modulation transfer spectroscopy. The resulting improved experimental sensitivity will aid in demonstrating quantum-enhanced light pulse atom interferometry in antiferromagnetic spinor BECs.