Single-mode acceleration of matter waves in circular waveguides

Ultracold gases in ring geometries hold promise for significant improvements of gyroscopic sensitivity. Recent experiments have realized atomic and molecular storage rings with radii in the centimeter range, sizes whose practical use in inertial sensors requires velocities significantly in excess of typical recoil velocities. We use a combination of analytical and numerical techniques to study the coherent acceleration of matter waves in circular waveguides, with particular emphasis on its impact on single-mode propagation. In the simplest case we find that single-mode propagation is best maintained by the application of time-dependent acceleration force with the temporal profile of a Blackmann pulse. We also assess the impact of classical noise on the acceleration process.

Sagnac rotational phase shifts in a mesoscopic electron interferometer with spin-orbit interactions

The Sagnac effect is an important phase coherent effect in optical and atom interferometers where rotations of the interferometer with respect to an inertial reference frame result in a shift in the interference pattern proportional to the rotation rate. Here, we analyze the Sagnac effect in a mesoscopic semiconductor electron interferometer. We include in our analysis the Rashba spin-orbit interactions in the ring. Our results indicate that spin-orbit interactions increase the rotation-induced phase shift. We discuss the potential experimental observability of the Sagnac phase shift in such mesoscopic systems.