Description:

Abstract:  Precise measurements of atomic, molecular, and optical systems are opening a new experimental window into fundamental physics. The high sensitivity of light-pulse atom interferometry, which uses lasers to separate and interfere atomic wave packets, makes it particularly well-suited for such measurements. In this talk, I will discuss three experiments performed with the 10 meter atom interferometer at Stanford: a test of the equivalence principle, an observation of a quantum system in curved spacetime, and a measurement of a gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect. I will also survey other applications of precise atom interferometry and discuss near-term prospects for the field.

Speaker: Chris Overstreet, Johns Hopkins University

Keywords: CFP, Physics