  We demonstrate an atomic interferometer in which the atom passes through a
single-zone optical beam, consisting of a pair of bichromatic
counter-propagating fields. During the passage, the atomic wave packets in two
distinct internal states trace out split trajectories, guided by the optical
beams, with the amplitude and spread of each wave-packet varying continuously,
producing fringes that can reach a visibility close to unity. We show that the
rotation sensitivity of this continuous interferometer (CI) can be comparable
to that of the Borde-Chu Interferometer (BCI). The relative simplicity of the
CI makes it a potentially better candidate for practical applications.

Quantum Physics;Atomic Physics