Cold-atom interferometers
Matter waves accumulate phase along different trajectories.
$$\Delta\phi=\mathbf k_{\mathrm{eff}}\cdot\mathbf a T^2$$
Physical intuition
Matter waves accumulate phase along different trajectories.
Deep dive: physical mechanism
Light pulses split, redirect and recombine atomic wave packets. Acceleration produces a differential phase proportional to effective momentum transfer and squared pulse separation.
What is measured experimentally?
Fringe shifts measure acceleration or gravity.
Assumptions, noise and limitations
Wavefront errors, vibration and gravity gradients are major systematics.
Research and simulation exercise
Simulate a three-pulse Mach–Zehnder atom interferometer.
Connect the ideas
Explore the chapter overview, learning path, and references.