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Testing the equivalence principle with atomic interferometry

delete2012-08-15
delete39
PRE
AI
S
Sven Herrmann *
C
Claus Läemmerzahl
DOI:10.1088/0264-9381/29/18/184003delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
The weak equivalence principle (WEP), that is, the universality of free fall, states that all point-like neutral particles in a gravitational field fall in the same way. This is the basis of the geometrization of the gravitational interaction. Together with further requirements on the behavior of point particles, light propagation and clocks one can show that gravity is modeled by a Riemannian geometry. Since in the quantum domain all objects are extended, it is not clear whether the notion of a WEP in the quantum domain makes sense at all. We show that for matter wave interferometry the notion of WEP still can be given a meaning. We give a short overview over schemes which allows a violation of the WEP and emphasize that there are also schemes which show that there might be violations of the WEP in the quantum regime which are not present classically. This makes a test of the WEP with quantum matter necessary. We also give a brief outline of the efforts made for testing the WEP with interferometry with cold atoms in the Bremen drop tower carried out by the QUANTUS and PRIMUS collaboration.
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Journal

Classical and Quantum Gravity cover
Classical and Quantum Gravity
IF:
3.7
Papers:
1.3W
Citations:
3.0W

Organization

H
Helmholtz Association
Scholars:
13.2W
Papers: 10.7W
Citations: 145
U
University of Bremen
Scholars:
8.1K
Papers: 7.2K
Citations: 1.1W