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http://hdl.handle.net/2289/4061
Title: | Atom interferometry and the gravitational redshift |
Authors: | Sinha, Supurna Samuel, J. |
Issue Date: | 21-Jul-2011 |
Publisher: | IOP Publishing Ltd |
Citation: | Classical and Quantum Gravity, 2011, Vol.28, p145018 |
Abstract: | From the principle of equivalence, Einstein predicted that clocks slow down in a gravitational field. Since the general theory of relativity is based on the principle of equivalence, it is essential to test this prediction accurately. M¨uller, Peters and Chu claim that a reinterpretation of decade old experiments with atom interferometers leads to a sensitive test of this gravitational redshift effect at the Compton frequency. Wolf et al dispute this claim and adduce arguments against it. In this paper, we distill these arguments to a single fundamental objection: an atom is not a clock ticking at the Compton frequency. We conclude that atom interferometry experiments conducted to date do not yield such sensitive tests of the gravitational redshift. Finally, we suggest a new interferometric experiment to measure the gravitational redshift, which realizes a quantum version of the classical clock ‘paradox’. PACS numbers: 04.80.−y, 03.75.Dg |
Description: | Restricted Access. An open-access version is available at arXiv.org (one of the alternative locations) |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2289/4061 |
ISSN: | 0264-9381 1361-6382 (Online) |
Alternative Location: | http://arxiv.org/abs/1102.2587 http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0264-9381/28/14/145018 http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011CQGra..28n5018S |
Copyright: | 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd |
Appears in Collections: | Research Papers (TP) |
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