arXiv : AION: An Atom Interferometer Observatory and Network

Badurina, L.; Ellis, J.; Hobson, R.; Wilmut, I.; McCabe, C.; Majewski, P.; Schneider, U.; Buchmueller, O.; Coleman, J.; March-Russell, J.; Bowcock, T.; Bowden, W.; Foot, C.; Sauer, B.; Bortoletto, D.; Gibson, V.; Hedges, S.; Bongs, K.; Bentine, E.; Lewicki, M.; Vaskonen, V.; Vossebeld, J.; Harte, T.; Uchida, M.A.; Maiolino, R.; Burrage, C.; Lellouch, S.; Shipsey, I.; Jones, T.; Singh, Y.; Haehnelt, M.G.; Bridges, K.; van der Grinten, M.; Malik, S.; Weatherill, D.; Blas, D.; Newbold, D.; Holynski, M.; Valenzuela, T.; Elertas, G.; Langlois, M.

doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2020/05/011

Article
Report number	arXiv:1911.11755 ; AION-2019-001 ; CERN-TH-2019-199
Title	AION: An Atom Interferometer Observatory and Network
Author(s)	Badurina, L. (King's Coll. London) ; Bentine, E. (U. Oxford (main)) ; Blas, D. (King's Coll. London) ; Bongs, K. (Birmingham U.) ; Bortoletto, D. (U. Oxford (main)) ; Bowcock, T. (U. Liverpool (main)) ; Bridges, K. (U. Liverpool (main)) ; Bowden, W. (Teddington, Natl. Phys. Lab ; Imperial Coll., London) ; Buchmueller, O. (Imperial Coll., London) ; Burrage, C. (U. Nottingham) ; Coleman, J. (U. Liverpool (main)) ; Elertas, G. (U. Liverpool (main)) ; Ellis, J. (King's Coll. London ; NICPB, Tallinn ; CERN) ; Foot, C. (U. Oxford (main)) ; Gibson, V. (Cambridge U.) ; Haehnelt, M.G. (Cambridge U. (main) ; Cambridge U., Inst. of Astron.) ; Harte, T. (Cambridge U. (main)) ; Hedges, S. (Birmingham U.) ; Hobson, R. (Teddington, Natl. Phys. Lab ; Aba Teacher's Coll.) ; Holynski, M. (Birmingham U.) ; Jones, T. (U. Liverpool (main)) ; Langlois, M. (Birmingham U.) ; Lellouch, S. (Birmingham U.) ; Lewicki, M. (King's Coll. London ; Warsaw U. (main)) ; Maiolino, R. (Cambridge U. (main) ; Cambridge U., KICC) ; Majewski, P. (Rutherford) ; Malik, S. (Imperial Coll., London) ; March-Russell, J. (Oxford U., Theor. Phys.) ; McCabe, C. (King's Coll. London) ; Newbold, D. (Rutherford) ; Sauer, B. (Imperial Coll., London) ; Schneider, U. (Cambridge U.) ; Shipsey, I. (U. Oxford (main)) ; Singh, Y. (Birmingham U.) ; Uchida, M.A. (Cambridge U.) ; Valenzuela, T. (Rutherford) ; van der Grinten, M. (Rutherford) ; Vaskonen, V. (King's Coll. London ; NICPB, Tallinn) ; Vossebeld, J. (U. Liverpool (main)) ; Weatherill, D. (U. Oxford (main)) ; Wilmut, I. (Rutherford)
Publication	2020-05-06
Imprint	2019-11-26
Number of pages	28
Note	v3: Update to match published version in JCAP
In:	JCAP 2005 (2020) 011
DOI	10.1088/1475-7516/2020/05/011
Subject category	physics.atom-ph ; Other Fields of Physics ; hep-ph ; Particle Physics - Phenomenology ; hep-ex ; Particle Physics - Experiment ; gr-qc ; General Relativity and Cosmology ; astro-ph.CO ; Astrophysics and Astronomy
Abstract	We outline the experimental concept and key scientific capabilities of AION (Atom Interferometer Observatory and Network), a proposed UK-based experimental programme using cold strontium atoms to search for ultra-light dark matter, to explore gravitational waves in the mid-frequency range between the peak sensitivities of the LISA and LIGO/Virgo/ KAGRA/INDIGO/Einstein Telescope/Cosmic Explorer experiments, and to probe other frontiers in fundamental physics. AION would complement other planned searches for dark matter, as well as probe mergers involving intermediate mass black holes and explore early universe cosmology. AION would share many technical features with the MAGIS experimental programme in the US, and synergies would flow from operating AION in a network with this experiment, as well as with other atom interferometer experiments such as MIGA, ZAIGA and ELGAR. Operating AION in a network with other gravitational wave detectors such as LIGO, Virgo and LISA would also offer many synergies.
Copyright/License	preprint: (License: arXiv nonexclusive-distrib 1.0) publication: © 2020-2025 IOP Publishing Ltd and Sissa Medialab

$\it Space-time diagram of the operation of a pair of cold-atom interferometers based on single-photon transitions between the ground state (blue) and the excited state (red dashed). The laser pulses (wavy lines) travelling across the baseline from opposite sides are used to divide, redirect, and recombine the atomic de Broglie waves, yielding interference patterns that are sensitive to the modulation of the atomic transition frequency caused by coupling to DM, or the modulation of the light travel time caused by GWs. For clarity, the sizes of the atom interferometers are shown on an exaggerated scale. Figure taken from~\cite{Graham:2012sy}.$ $\it Space-time diagram of the operation of a pair of cold-atom interferometers based on single-photon transitions between the ground state (blue) and the excited state (red dashed). Height in the AION configuration is shown on the vertical axis and the time axis is horizontal. The laser pulses (wavy lines) travelling across the baseline from opposite sides are used to divide, redirect, and recombine the atomic de Broglie waves, yielding interference patterns that are sensitive to the modulation of the atomic transition frequency caused by coupling to DM, or the modulation of the light travel time caused by GWs. For clarity, the sizes of the atom interferometers are shown on an exaggerated scale.$ $\it Conceptual scheme of AION, illustrated for two atom interferometers that are arranged vertically and addressed by a single laser source.$ Show more plots

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Record created 2019-12-12, last modified 2024-10-22

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