Sagnac Interferometry Based on Ultraslow Polaritons in Cold Atomic Vapors

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Abstract
The advantages of light and matter-wave Sagnac interferometers—large area on one hand and high rotational sensitivity per unit area on the other—can be combined utilizing ultraslow light in cold atomic gases. While a group-velocity reduction alone does not affect the Sagnac phase shift, the associated momentum transfer from light to atoms generates a coherent matter-wave component which gives rise to a substantially enhanced rotational signal. It is shown that matter-wave sensitivity in a large-area interferometer can be achieved if an optically dense vapor at subrecoil temperatures is used. Already a noticeable enhancement of the Sagnac phase shift is possible, however, with far fewer cooling requirements.
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