Abstract
The standard quantum limit is calculated for the atom-light interferometer. It is shown that the smallest detectable phase is
Therefore, in practical experiments, the accuracy is limited by the square root of the number of atoms. We propose a novel correlated atom-photon state interferometer which makes a transition to the Heisenberg limit, δφmin ∝ 1/N atoms, as the atoms approach a Bose condensate. Such an interferometer may serve as a sensitive probe of the onset of Bose condensation. Finally, we point out that the correlated atom-photon state preparation scheme we propose may be used in a different way to approach the Heisenberg limit for non-Bose-condensed atoms.
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Dedicated to H. Walther on the occasion of his 60th birthday