Speaker
Description
Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) are excellent systems for quantum sensing applications like navigation, relativistic geodesy and tests of the universality of free fall. The sensitivity of most such atom interferometers increases quadratically with the interrogation time, which makes it beneficial to extend the free fall time. To accomplish this goal NASA has launched the Cold Atom Lab (CAL) [1] to the International Space Station
Here we report recent results of experiments performed on CAL. We show fast and reliable quantum gas transport protocols, matter wave lensing to picokelvin temperature [2], different interferometer geometries, as well as mixture experiments. We will also discuss recent results on two-species (Rb and K) atom interferometry. Furthermore, we discuss current limitations as well as prospective future experiments on CAL. These results pave the way towards future precision measurements with BECs in space.
This project is supported by NASA/JPL through RSAs including 1616833 and the German Space Agency (DLR) with funds provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) due to an enactment of the German Bundestag under the grant numbers 50WM1861-1862, 50WM2245A and 50WM2245B.
TODO Funding
[1] Aveline, D. C. et al. Observation of Bose–Einstein condensates in an Earth-orbiting research lab. Nature 582, 193–197 (2020).
[2] Gaaloul, N. et al. A space-based quantum gas laboratory at picokelvin energy scales.
Nature Communications 13, 7889 (2022)
