Single-step SU(3) Hahn Echo in a Qutrit Atom Interferometer

Abstract

The Hahn echo is a well-known dynamical decoupling method that refocuses the dephasing due to energy inhomogeneities of a spin-1/2 ensemble and is widely used to extend phase coherence in quantum computers and sensors. Extensions of such techniques beyond the spin-1/2 have been reported, but have mainly used SU(2) gates, limiting their scalability. Here, we generalize the Hahn echo to qutrits using single-step SU(3) gates and extend the coherence time by more than an order of magnitude. The gates are generated through optimal control theory and implemented in an ultracold atomic ensemble in free fall. A quantum process tomography procedure benchmarks the gates and yields fidelities of ~ 93%, limited mainly by state preparation and measurement errors. Due to the geometry of the laser beams, the generalized Hahn echo also realizes a three-path Mach-Zehnder atomic interferometer with two independent interferometric phase differences. Our results therefore establish SU(3) control for dynamical decoupling of qutrits and multi-path atom interferometers, with the latter opening the possibility for vector force measurements and interferometric tests of the validity of Born's rule.