Long Baseline Clock Atom Interferometry for Gravitational Wave Detection and Dark Matter Searches

Explore the cutting-edge developments in atom interferometry and atomic clocks through this Stanford Physics colloquium. Delve into the potential applications of precision atomic sensors for gravitational wave detection and dark matter searches. Discover the emerging field of long-baseline atomic sensing, which aims to scale up tabletop experiments to kilometer-scale and beyond. Learn about the innovative "clock" atom interferometry technique based on narrow-line optical transitions, combining inertial sensitivity with features from the best atomic clocks. Examine the MAGIS-100 experiment, a 100-meter-tall atomic sensor under construction at Fermilab, designed to probe ultra-light dark matter candidates and serve as a prototype for future gravitational wave detectors. Gain insights into recent advancements in enhancing sensitivity through increased interferometer space-time area, including the use of Floquet modulation to achieve pulse fidelities exceeding 99.4% and record-setting momentum separation between interferometer arms of over 400 ћk.