Sensing Aharonov--Bohm phase using a multiply-orbiting-ion interferometer

Abstract: Interferometers, which are built using spatially propagating light or matter waves, are commonly used to measure physical quantities. These measurements are made possible by exploiting the interference between waves traveling along different paths. This study introduces a novel approach to sensing of the Aharonov--Bohm phase, an ion matter-wave interferometer operating within a two-dimensional circular trajectory in a trap potential. The ion orbitals in the potential form Lissajous curves, causing the direction of ion rotation to reverse. This reversal results in a corresponding change in the interference phase. Our study is groundbreaking as it is the first attempt to utilize propagating matter waves of an ion in constructing an interferometer for the measurement of physical quantities. Given that the scale factor of the interferometer to the cyclotron motion and the rotation of the system is common, the sensitivity to the Aharonov--Bohm phase in this study corresponds to a rotation sensitivity of approximately 300~rad/s. Besides advancing interferometry, our work also lays the foundation for future research into the use of ion matter waves in gyroscopic applications.