Current Status and Prospects on High-Precision Quantum Tests of the Weak Equivalence Principle with Cold Atom Interferometry

Abstract

For a hundred years, general relativity has been the best theory to describe gravity and space–time and has successfully explained many physical phenomena. At the same time, quantum mechanics provides the most accurate description of the microscopic world, and quantum science technology has evoked a wide range of developments today. Merging these two very successful theories to form a grand unified theory is one of the most elusive challenges in physics. All the candidate theories that wish to unify gravity and quantum mechanics predict the breaking of the weak equivalence principle, which lies at the heart of general relativity. It is therefore imperative to experimentally verify the equivalence principle in the presence of significant quantum effects of matter. Cold atoms provide well-defined properties and potentially nonlocal correlations as the test masses and will also improve the limits reached by classical tests with macroscopic bodies. The results of rigorous tests using cold atoms may tell us whether and how the equivalence principle can be reformulated into a quantum version. In this paper, we review the principles and developments of the test of the equivalence principle with cold atoms. The status of the experiments and the key techniques involved are discussed in detail. Finally, we give an outlook on new questions and opportunities for further exploration of this topic.