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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 29: Ultra-cold atoms, ions and BEC (joint session A/Q)

A 29.16: Poster

Thursday, March 17, 2022, 16:30–18:30, P

Towards dark energy search using atom interferometry in microgravity — •Magdalena Misslisch¹, Holger Ahlers², Maike Lachmann¹, and Ernst Rasel¹ — ¹Institute of Quantum Optics, Hanover, Germany — ²Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) Institut für Satellitengeodäsie und Inertialsensorik, Hanover, Germany

Dark energy is estimated to represent around 70 % of the universe energy budget, yet its nature remains unknown. A possible solution for this problem is the proposed scalar chameleon field whose effects are hidden from usual high density probe particles due to a screening effect.

The project DESIRE (Dark energy search by atom interferometry in the Einstein-Elevator) aims to detect chameleon dark energy by atom interferometry in microgravity. In this experiment multi-loop interferometry with Rb-87 Bose-Einstein condensates will be performed to search for phase contributions induced by chameleon scalar fields shaped by a changing mass density in their vicinity [1]. Atoms traverse a periodic test mass designed in cooperation with the JPL while accumulating the signal within a multi-loop interferometer over several seconds. To reach these long interaction times the experiment will be performed in microgravity in the Einstein-Elevator, an active drop tower in Hanover.

[1] Sheng-wey Chiow und Nan Yu. "Multiloop atom interferometer measurements of chameleon dark energy in microgravity" doi: 10.1103/PhysRevD.97.044043, 2018