Erlangen 2022 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 63: Matter Wave Optics
Q 63.8: Talk
Friday, March 18, 2022, 12:15–12:30, Q-H10
Quantum state engineering of quantum gases in orbit — •Annie Pichery1, Matthias Meister2, Nicholas P. Bigelow3, Naceur Gaaloul1, and the CUAS Team1 — 1Institut für Quantenoptik, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany — 2Institute of Quantum Technologies, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Ulm, Germany — 3The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, New York, USA
Ensembles of cold atoms behave as matter-waves and are routinely used for quantum sensing experiments. Space provides an environment where atoms can float for extended times, but the free expansion and the inherent atomic density drop make the signal detection difficult. By analogy with light, it is possible to collimate the clouds with atomic lenses, using the delta-kick collimation technique. In this contribution, we present a protocol for controlling the expansion of condensed Rb clouds applied to experiments in the NASA Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) on board of the International Space Station that led to expansion energies at the tens of picokelvin level. This is made possible thanks to an accurate quantum state preparation of the atomic source that makes it compatible with the most stringent requirements of precision atom interferometry experiments.
We acknowledge financial support from NASA/JPL RSA No. 1616833 and the German Space Agency (DLR) with funds provided by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) due to an enactment of the German Bundestag under Grant No. 50WP1705 and No. 50WM1861/2.