NEW INERTIAL AND GRAVITATIONAL EFFECTS MADE MEASURABLE BY ATOMIC-BEAM INTERFEROMETRY

The aim of this letter is to draw attention to the fact that using atomic beam interferometry two new types of gravi-inertial effects are now within the range of measurability. Beyond the term linear in the earth's acceleration g, an effect quadratic in the acceleration seems to be observable. Furthermore, with regard to rotation, in addition to the Sagnac effect, a spin-rotation effect may be measurable. The respective experiments are of fundamental theoretical importance with regard to quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames and to the influence of gravity on quantum systems.