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Phase estimation with interfering Bose-Einstein-condensed atomic clouds

Jan Chwedeńczuk, Francesco Piazza, and Augusto Smerzi
Phys. Rev. A 82, 051601(R) – Published 4 November 2010

Abstract

We investigate how to estimate from atom-position measurements the relative phase of two Bose-Einstein condensates released from a double-well potential. We demonstrate that the phase-estimation sensitivity via the fit of the average density to the interference pattern is fundamentally bounded by shot noise. The shot noise can be overcome by estimating the phase from the measurement of order N (or higher) correlation functions. The optimal estimation strategy, saturating the quantum Fisher information, requires the measurement of the Nth-order correlation function. We demonstrate that a different estimation method—based on the detection of the center of mass of the interference pattern—also provides sub-shot-noise sensitivity. The implementation of both protocols, however, might be experimentally challenging.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 9 July 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.82.051601

©2010 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Jan Chwedeńczuk, Francesco Piazza, and Augusto Smerzi

  • INO-CNR, BEC Center, Via Sommarive 14, I-38123 Povo, Trento, Italy and Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita’ di Trento, I-38123 Povo, Trento, Italy

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Issue

Vol. 82, Iss. 5 — November 2010

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