Development of a BEC interferometer using Painted Potentials

Due to their compact nature, BEC interferometers make it possible to develop portable precision measurement devices. We are developing a BEC interferometer using the painted potential \footnote{K. Henderson et al., \textit{New J. Phys.} \textbf{11}, 043030 (2009)}, a technique that allows for the creation and manipulation of BECs in arbitrary and dynamic 2D trapping potentials. This technique makes it possible to create BECs in a “U”-shaped trap, which is equivalent to two potential wells coupled by a channel. A slow removal of the link allows us to reduce excitations in the BECs typical of splitting processes, while maintaining their phase coherence. We report our measurements of the coherence time after the splitting, and show the growth of the relative phase difference between the two BECs that limits our coherence time. To perform linear acceleration measurements and rotation sensing, it is essential to move the BECs relative to each other. We will present schemes we are developing to transport the two trapped BECs within the coherence time with minimal excitations.