Measuring Polarizability with an Atom Interferometer Melissa Revelle University of Arizona Dr. Alex Cronin

Why Atomic Polarizability? He 0.2 Å3 Na 24.11 Å3 K 43.4 Å3 p=αE Accepted precision of αNa = 0.5% αK = 2% Our precision =1% Relates to Van der Waals forces Atomic clock precision + + p p + E

Our polarizability experiment

Original Data We record atom flux vs grating position Polarizability relates to this phase shift

Fitting the Data Data Fit Function Phase Shift [rad] Distance from HV Cylinder [mm]] We fit the data to my model of the electric field to determine phase shift

Current and Future Progress αNa = 24.2 ± 0.3 Å3 αK = 42.7 ± 0.5 Å3 Improve the precision of rubidium and strontium polarizability to better than 1% Measure the polarizability of molecules.

Thank You NASA Space Grant Dr. Alex Cronin Will Holmgren Vincent Lonij `

Nano - Gratings 100 nm

Electric Field Region

Beam Velocities Measured using the diffraction from the first grating.

Finding the Equipotential Surfaces and Charge Density For an ideal wire and an image wire: Atom beams y0 R g l d z y x