Direct Digital Synthesis for Applications in Atom Interferometry

Abstract

In this project, we give a brief idea about atom interferometry, the setup of the device and the usage of direct digital synthesis (DDS) in atom interferometry, what exactly a DDS is, the working of a DDS in terms of it’s parts, along with the DDS used (AD9850 and AD9910), their working and operation with an emphasis on the two modes of operation used in AD9910- single tone mode and digital ramp mode. The sweeping of frequency for digital ramp mode is done from 80 MHz to 82.5 MHz in steps of 0.84 MHz followed by phase locking for both modes of operation of the DDS. Atom interferometry is crucial in various aspects of science such as measuring gravity and estimating physical constants such as gravitational constant and fine structure constant. Doing the former is crucial for geophysical processes, geology, mineral exploration, and volcanology as monitoring local variations in gravity provides insights into tectonic deformations, tides, ocean and glacier dynamics, and Earth's structure.