Non-interferometric atomic phase measurement: competitive with interferometers?

Full text: Atom interferometry promises highly sensitive measurements of atomic phase shifts but is highly complex to implement. Non-inteferometric phase retrieval is an established alternative to optical interferometry and has the potential to greatly simplify atomic phase measurements. We present an analysis the experimental limitations of such a scheme and compare these to current generation atom interferometers. We suggest that the measurable resolution can be better understood if cast in terms of projected potential traversed by the atoms rather than phase per se