We demonstrate light-pulse atom interferometry with large-momentum-transfer atom optics based on stimulated Raman transitions and frequency-swept adiabatic rapid passage. Our atom optics have produced momentum splittings of up to 30 photon recoil momenta in an acceleration-sensitive interferometer for laser cooled atoms. We experimentally verify the enhancement of phase shift per unit acceleration and characterize interferometer contrast loss. By forgoing evaporative cooling and velocity selection, this method lowers the atom shot-noise-limited measurement uncertainty and enables large-area atom interferometry at higher data rates. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.103001 PACS numbers: 37.25.+k, 03.75.Be, 03.75.Dg Light-pulse atom interferometry (LPAI) is a preeminent method for precision measurements of inertial forces [1,2] and fundamental physical constants [3,4]. Highly sensitive LPAI systems may be an enabling technology for nextgeneration inertial navigators [5][6][7], gravitational wave detectors [8], and tests of the equivalence principle [9]. Nevertheless, many light-pulse atom interferometers are presently limited by atom beam splitters and mirrors that create small momentum separations (two photon recoil momenta) between diffracting wave packets. The sensitivity of these interferometers typically increases with the effective area enclosed by the interfering wave packets [10]. Since this area is proportional to momentum separation, sensitivity can be enhanced using atom optics that generate large momentum transfer (LMT). Previous demonstrations of atom interferometry with LMT atom optics have taken several approaches, including sequential application of stimulated Raman transitions [11,12], Raman composite pulses [13], and stimulated Raman adiabatic rapid passage (STIRAP) pulses [14], as well as application of multiphoton-Bragg transitions [15][16][17], and Bloch oscillations in an optical lattice [18,19].In most of these demonstrations, cold atoms from a magneto-optical trap (MOT) were either evaporatively cooled or velocity selected-both of which typically discard >90% of the original atom sample. A reduced atom number is detrimental to atom shot-noise-limited measurement uncertainty and to operation at fast data rates. A slower data rate results because, following every measurement cycle, the steady-state atom number in the MOT must be recovered primarily from roomtemperature atoms. When cold atoms are recaptured, however, fewer atoms must be loaded from the roomtemperature background vapor, thus allowing the data rate to be increased above 100 Hz [20]. High data rates are crucial for atom interferometric measurements of dynamic signals, such as rapidly varying accelerations and rotations of moving platforms, as well as strains from high frequency (∼10 Hz) gravitational waves [8,19]. The fastest data rates with evaporative cooling have been limited to ≤1.3 Hz [21]; velocity selection at high data rates requires the added complexity of a 2D MOT to maintain atom number [22].In this Letter, we demonstra...

We report a demonstration of composite Raman pulses that achieve broadband population inversion and are used to increase the momentum splitting of an atom interferometer up to 18ℏk (corresponding to an increase in the inertial signal by a factor of nine). Composite Raman pulses suppress the effects of pulse length and detuning errors, providing higher transfer efficiency and velocity acceptance than single square pulses. We implement two composite pulse sequences, π∕2 0°− π 90°− π∕2 0°a nd π∕2 0°− π 180°− 3π∕2 0°, and use the latter composite pulse to demonstrate large-area atom interferometry with stimulated Raman transitions. In addition to enabling larger momentum transfer and higher sensitivity, we argue that composite pulses can improve the robustness of atom interferometers operating in dynamic environments.