Photon recoil momentum in dispersive media

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Author(s)
Campbell, GK
Leanhardt, AE
Mun, J
Boyd, M
Streed, EW
Ketterle, W
Pritchard, DE
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2005
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
A systematic shift of the photon recoil momentum due to the index of refraction of a dilute gas of atoms has been observed. The recoil frequency was determined with a two-pulse light grating interferometer using near-resonant laser light. The results show that the recoil momentum of atoms caused by the absorption of a photon is nhk, where n is the index of refraction of the gas and k is the vacuum wave vector of the photon. This systematic effect must be accounted for in high-precision atom interferometry with light gratings.A systematic shift of the photon recoil momentum due to the index of refraction of a dilute gas of atoms has been observed. The recoil frequency was determined with a two-pulse light grating interferometer using near-resonant laser light. The results show that the recoil momentum of atoms caused by the absorption of a photon is nhk, where n is the index of refraction of the gas and k is the vacuum wave vector of the photon. This systematic effect must be accounted for in high-precision atom interferometry with light gratings.
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Journal Title
Physical Review Letters
Volume
94
Issue
17
Publisher URI
Copyright Statement
© 2005 American Physical Society. This is the author-manuscript version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal link for access to the definitive, published version.
Subject
Mathematical sciences
Physical sciences
Engineering