Pushing the Limits of Ultracold Atom-Based Quantum Sensing

Ultracold atoms provide a versatile platform for exploring novel quantum phenomena and developing advanced sensing technologies. In this work, we report progress toward developing a quantum rotation sensor aimed at surpassing the standard quantum limit (SQL). We propose a scheme and describe our experimental setup for using a ring-shaped Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) to realize a Schrödinger cat state—an entangled macroscopic superposition of two collective rotational states. External rotations induce phase shifts between these states, creating interference patterns that encode rotation with high precision. Our approach integrates a modular, all-fiber beam delivery system and related control electronics with Infleqtion's table-top BEC systems, including the doubleMOT and Photonically Integrated Cold Atom Source (PICAS). A painted potential traps atoms in a ring geometry and generates the rotational states required for the scheme. This work paves the way for quantum sensors with sensitivity beyond SQL, offering promising applications in navigation and cold-atom-based quantum technologies.