Precision measurement of ℏ/mCs based on photon recoil using laser-cooled atoms and atomic interferometry

D. S. Weiss; B. C. Young; S. Chu

doi:10.1007/BF01081393

Precision measurement of ℏ/m_Cs based on photon recoil using laser-cooled atoms and atomic interferometry

D. S. Weiss, B. C. Young, S. Chu

Physics

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181 Scopus citations

Abstract

The recoil of an atom due to the absorption of up to 64 photons is measured, using laser-cooled cesium atoms which are made to interfere in an atomic fountain. Measurement of the photon recoil allows a determination of ℏ/m_Cs, and hence the fine-structure constant. The measurement is described and a detailed theoretical and experimental study of potential systematic errors is presented. A relative precision in the photon recoil measurement of 0.1 ppm is obtained in two hours of data collection. The measurement is currently 0.85 ppm below the accepted value of ℏ/m_Cs. We cannot now formally ascribe a systematic error, but suspect that the bulk of the discrepancy is due to imperfections of the interferometer beams used to induce the Raman transitions.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	217-256
Number of pages	40
Journal	Applied Physics B Lasers and Optics
Volume	59
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01081393
State	Published - Sep 1994

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)
General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1007/BF01081393

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title = "Precision measurement of ℏ/mCs based on photon recoil using laser-cooled atoms and atomic interferometry",

abstract = "The recoil of an atom due to the absorption of up to 64 photons is measured, using laser-cooled cesium atoms which are made to interfere in an atomic fountain. Measurement of the photon recoil allows a determination of ℏ/mCs, and hence the fine-structure constant. The measurement is described and a detailed theoretical and experimental study of potential systematic errors is presented. A relative precision in the photon recoil measurement of 0.1 ppm is obtained in two hours of data collection. The measurement is currently 0.85 ppm below the accepted value of ℏ/mCs. We cannot now formally ascribe a systematic error, but suspect that the bulk of the discrepancy is due to imperfections of the interferometer beams used to induce the Raman transitions.",

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year = "1994",

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T1 - Precision measurement of ℏ/mCs based on photon recoil using laser-cooled atoms and atomic interferometry

AU - Weiss, D. S.

AU - Young, B. C.

AU - Chu, S.

PY - 1994/9

Y1 - 1994/9

N2 - The recoil of an atom due to the absorption of up to 64 photons is measured, using laser-cooled cesium atoms which are made to interfere in an atomic fountain. Measurement of the photon recoil allows a determination of ℏ/mCs, and hence the fine-structure constant. The measurement is described and a detailed theoretical and experimental study of potential systematic errors is presented. A relative precision in the photon recoil measurement of 0.1 ppm is obtained in two hours of data collection. The measurement is currently 0.85 ppm below the accepted value of ℏ/mCs. We cannot now formally ascribe a systematic error, but suspect that the bulk of the discrepancy is due to imperfections of the interferometer beams used to induce the Raman transitions.

AB - The recoil of an atom due to the absorption of up to 64 photons is measured, using laser-cooled cesium atoms which are made to interfere in an atomic fountain. Measurement of the photon recoil allows a determination of ℏ/mCs, and hence the fine-structure constant. The measurement is described and a detailed theoretical and experimental study of potential systematic errors is presented. A relative precision in the photon recoil measurement of 0.1 ppm is obtained in two hours of data collection. The measurement is currently 0.85 ppm below the accepted value of ℏ/mCs. We cannot now formally ascribe a systematic error, but suspect that the bulk of the discrepancy is due to imperfections of the interferometer beams used to induce the Raman transitions.

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JO - Applied Physics B Lasers and Optics

JF - Applied Physics B Lasers and Optics

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Precision measurement of ℏ/m_Cs based on photon recoil using laser-cooled atoms and atomic interferometry

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