Rotation Sensing with Superfluid Quantum Gases

In this seedling grant, we embarked on an effort in precision rotation sensing using atomic superfluids. Departing from the atomic beam approach based on single atom physics, the goal was to directly exploit the many-body nature of gaseous quantum matter. In our quantum matter interferometer, we exploit collective excitations travelling within these quantum liquids as rotation sensing devices: topologically protected vortices and solitons. Propagating within the ideal, uniform background of the superfluid, these are intrinsically insensitive to potential defects and system imperfections, making our approach more robust than conventional atom-laser based implementations. This research fit well within Thrust 3 of the MTO BAA, Decentralized sensors for the DOD. Once miniaturized, a robust, quantum matter interferometer would be well suited for used a decentralized rotation sensor.