Paper detail

Probing gravity by holding atoms for 20 seconds

Atom interferometers are powerful tools for both measurements in fundamental physics and inertial sensing applications. Their performance, however, has been limited by the available interrogation time of freely falling atoms in a gravitational field. We realize an unprecedented interrogation time of 20 seconds by suspending the spatially-separated atomic wavepackets in a lattice formed by the mode of an optical cavity. Unlike traditional atom interferometers, this approach allows potentials to be measured by holding, rather than dropping, atoms. After seconds of hold time, gravitational potential energy differences from as little as microns of vertical separation generate megaradians of interferometer phase. This trapped geometry suppresses the phase sensitivity to vibrations by 3-4 orders of magnitude, overcoming the dominant noise source in atom-interferometric gravimeters. Finally, we study the wavefunction dynamics driven by gravitational potential gradients across neighboring lattice sites.