arXiv:1503.00433physics.atom-ph
Test of the universality of free fall with atoms in different spin Orientations
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Abstract
We report a test of the universality of free fall (UFF) related to spin-gravity coupling effects by comparing the gravity acceleration of the $^{87}$Rb atoms in $m_F=+1$ versus that in $m_F=-1$, where the corresponding spin orientations are opposite. A Mach-Zehnder-type atom interferometer is exploited to sequentially measure the free fall acceleration of the atoms in these two sublevels, and the resultant E$\rm{\ddot{o}}$tv$\rm{\ddot{o}}$s ratio determined by this work is ${η_S} =(-0.2\pm1.5)\times 10^{-5}$. The interferometer using atoms in $m_F=+1$ or $m_F=-1$ is highly sensitive to magnetic field inhomogeneity, which limits the current experimental precision of our UFF test. The work here provides a stepping stone for future higher precision UFF test related to different spin orientations on atomic basis.
Unfortunately, different quantum spin orientations don't appear to evade the weak equivalence principle. Dropping Bose-Einstein condensates in vacuum drop towers is a popular experiment. An example, "Tests of the Universality of Free Fall with Atoms in Different Spin…
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