Universal Gate Set for Optical Lattice Based Atom Interferometry

In this paper, we propose a new paradigm for atom interferometry and demonstrate that there exists a universal set of atom optic components for inertial sensing. These components constitute gates with which we carry out quantum operations and represent input-output matterwave transformations between lattice eigenstates. Each gate is associated with a modulation pattern of the position of the optical lattice according to machine-designed protocols. In this methodology, a sensor can be reprogrammed to respond to an evolving set of design priorities without modifying the hardware. We assert that such a gate set is metrologically universal, in analogy to universal gate sets for quantum computing. Experimental confirmation of the designed operation is demonstrated via in situ imaging of the spatial evolution of a Bose-Einstein condensate in an optical lattice, and by measurement of the momentum probabilities following time-of-flight expansion. The representation of several basic quantum sensing circuits is presented for the measurement of inertial forces, rotating reference frames, and gravity gradients.