---
OA_embargo: '6'
OA_place: publisher
_id: '20798'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: "Atom interferometers measure the relative phase shifts between coherent matter-wave
paths\r\nthat arise from interactions with external fields or inertial forces.
Due to their exceptional\r\nphase sensitivity, atom interferometers became an
essential tool for precision measurements\r\nand fundamental physics experiments,
finding applications in geodesy, gravimetry, and inertial\r\nnavigation. However,
their measurement precision is limited by quantum projection noise,\r\nwhich arises
from the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, preventing the measurement of atomic\r\nstates
with absolute precision. The generation of entanglement between the atoms offers
a\r\npath to surpass this so-called standard quantum limit, thereby enhancing
the interferometer’s\r\nphase sensitivity beyond classical measurement bounds.\r\nThis
thesis reports on the development of an atom interferometer experiment designed
to\r\nrealize cavity-mediated, squeezed Mach-Zehnder-type interferometry with
ultra-cold 87Rb atoms.\r\nThe experiment combines cavity-aided spin-squeezing
with cavity-mediated Mach-Zehnder\r\ninterferometry to demonstrate entanglement-enhanced
phase sensitivity. The experiment is\r\ncentered on a triangular optical cavity
that mediates all relevant atom-light interactions. The\r\ncavity provides optical
trapping, spin-squeezing, and Raman beam-splitter operations, enabling\r\nto perform
interferometry on a continuously trapped atomic ensemble.\r\nThe thesis elaborates
on the fundamental theoretical framework, the cavity design, and the full\r\noptical
setup, including the detailed configuration of the developed laser stabilization
methods.\r\nExperimentally, continuous loading methods were explored, resulting
in an accumulation of\r\nup to 4 × 106\r\natoms in the dipole trap within a cycle
time of 500 ms. The AC Stark shift\r\ncompensation method developed for continuous
loading was further applied for in-trap cooling\r\nto 10 µK, and optical pumping
for efficient atomic state preparation. Coherent state control\r\nwas verified
via observation of microwave-driven Rabi oscillations, and used to characterize\r\natom-cavity
coupling.\r\nThese presented results establish the experimental groundwork for
the future development of\r\ncavity-mediated, entanglement-enhanced Mach-Zehnder-type
atom interferometry."
alternative_title:
- ISTA Thesis
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Sebastian
full_name: Wald, Sebastian
id: 133F200A-B015-11E9-AD41-0EDAE5697425
last_name: Wald
orcid: 0000-0002-5869-1604
citation:
ama: Wald S. Atoms in a propagating-wave cavity for squeezed Mach-Zehnder atom interferometry.
2025. doi:10.15479/AT-ISTA-20798
apa: Wald, S. (2025). Atoms in a propagating-wave cavity for squeezed Mach-Zehnder
atom interferometry. Institute of Science and Technology Austria. https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20798
chicago: Wald, Sebastian. “Atoms in a Propagating-Wave Cavity for Squeezed Mach-Zehnder
Atom Interferometry.” Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025. https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20798.
ieee: S. Wald, “Atoms in a propagating-wave cavity for squeezed Mach-Zehnder atom
interferometry,” Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025.
ista: Wald S. 2025. Atoms in a propagating-wave cavity for squeezed Mach-Zehnder
atom interferometry. Institute of Science and Technology Austria.
mla: Wald, Sebastian. Atoms in a Propagating-Wave Cavity for Squeezed Mach-Zehnder
Atom Interferometry. Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025, doi:10.15479/AT-ISTA-20798.
short: S. Wald, Atoms in a Propagating-Wave Cavity for Squeezed Mach-Zehnder Atom
Interferometry, Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025.
corr_author: '1'
das_tickbox: '1'
date_created: 2025-12-11T11:48:11Z
date_published: 2025-12-11T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-07-24T08:07:28Z
day: '11'
ddc:
- '530'
degree_awarded: PhD
department:
- _id: GradSch
- _id: OnHo
doi: 10.15479/AT-ISTA-20798
doi_confirm: '1'
file:
- access_level: open_access
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content_type: application/pdf
creator: swald
date_created: 2025-12-12T11:53:42Z
date_updated: 2026-06-15T22:30:03Z
embargo: 2026-06-15
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date_created: 2025-12-12T11:54:55Z
date_updated: 2026-06-15T22:30:03Z
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fulldoi: https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20798
has_accepted_license: '1'
keyword:
- entanglement-enhanced atom interferometry
- cavity QED
- spin-squeezing
- dipole trap
- quantum optics
language:
- iso: eng
month: '12'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: '152'
publication_identifier:
isbn:
- 978-3-99078-075-6
issn:
- 2663-337X
publication_status: published
publisher: Institute of Science and Technology Austria
related_material:
record:
- id: '14759'
relation: part_of_dissertation
status: public
status: public
supervisor:
- first_name: Onur
full_name: Hosten, Onur
id: 4C02D85E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Hosten
orcid: 0000-0002-2031-204X
title: Atoms in a propagating-wave cavity for squeezed Mach-Zehnder atom interferometry
tmp:
image: /images/cc_by_nc.png
legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode
name: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
short: CC BY-NC (4.0)
type: dissertation
user_id: 8b945eb4-e2f2-11eb-945a-df72226e66a9
year: '2025'
...