Enhanced atom interferometer readout through the application of phase shear

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We present a method for determining the phase and contrast of a single shot of an atom interferometer. The application of a phase shear across the atom ensemble yields a spatially varying fringe pattern at each output port, which can be imaged directly. This method is broadly relevant to atom interferometric precision measurement, as we demonstrate in a 10 m Rb-87 atomic fountain by implementing an atom interferometric gyrocompass with 10 millidegree precision.