Feedback Control of Collective Spin States for Atom Interferometry

In this thesis, we describe an until now unexplored approach in the operation of atomic interferometers; the feedback control of the atomic states during their evolution. Towards this goal, we present several novel experimental techniques, such as the all-optical Bose-Einstein condensation of rubidium-87 in a cavity enhanced dipole trap, a new laser stabilization technique based on serrodyne frequency shifting and the development of frequency modulation spectroscopy as a minimal destructive tool for the measurement of atomic population differences. This nondestructive detection is combined with feedback, either directly on the atoms with microwave radiation or on the microwave oscillator. In this way, we show that atomic quantum states can be protected against decoherence from collective noise. We develop dedicated feedback protocols to use this method to improve atomic interferometers, and experimentally demonstrate one such protocol in an atomic clock. We show that the interrogation time in atomic interferometers can be prolonged, which holds promise for increasing the sensitivity of atomic sensors.