Atom Interferometers and the Gravitational Redshift

Details Atom Interferometers and the Gravitational Redshift Atom Interferometers and the Gravitational Redshift

2011-02-13

arxiv.org/abs/1102.2587v4

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

18 pages, one figure, improved discussion, corrected typos

Scientific paper

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. Muller, 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 article, 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 realises a quantum version of the classical clock "paradox".

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