2008/09/18 by Malo Cadoret, Estefania De Mirandes, E. de Mirandes +9 · 1 citation
Decision Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Frequency and Time Standards #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Scientific Measurement and Uncertainty Evaluation #physics.atom-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1140/epjst/e2008-00813-9
published as The European Physical Journal Special Topics 163 (2008) 101
arxiv created 2008/09/18 · openalex publication_date 2008/10/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
We use Bloch oscillations to transfer coherently many photon momenta to atoms. Then we can measure accurately the ratio h/mRb and deduce the fine structure constant alpha. The velocity variation due to the Bloch oscillations is measured thanks to Raman transitions. In a first experiment, two Raman π pulses are used to select and measure a very narrow velocity class. This method yields to a value of the fine structure constant alpha-1= 137.035 998 84 (91) with a relative uncertainty of about 6.6 ppb. More recently we use an atomic interferometer consisting in two pairs of pi/2 pulses. We present here the first results obtained with this method.