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FRI: Friday Contributed Sessions
FRI 8: Quantum Detectors in Optics and Particle Physics
FRI 8.6: Talk
Friday, September 12, 2025, 12:00–12:15, ZHG009
COMPASSO mission and its quantum optical clock — •Johanna Popp1, Frederik Kuschweski1, Jan Wüst1, Markus Oswald1, Tim Blomberg1, Jonas Pollex2, André Bußmeier1, Niklas Röder1, Issaree Khattiwiriyapinyo1, Thilo Schuldt1, and Claus Braxmaier1, 3 — 1DLR Institute of Quantum Technologies — 2DLR Institute of Space Systems — 3Institute of Microelectronics, University of Ulm
Quantum optical clocks are high-performance devices in terms of frequency stability and accuracy and are therefore important instruments in research of fundamental and applied physics, such as in geodesy and navigation with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The established microwave clock technologies on GNSS satellites are one limititation for geolocation with cm precision. Hence national and international space agencies are aiming to replace these systems with next-generation technologies. In the DLR COMPASSO mission, a quantum optical clock based on modulation transfer spectroscopy of iodine will be deployed to the ISS as a technology demonstrator [1]. In this contribution, we present the mission architecture and highlight the key part of the optical clock: the iodine-based optical frequency reference reaching a fractional instability down to 10−15.
[1] Kuschewski, F. et al. GPS Solut 28, 10 (2024).
Keywords: Optical clock; Space; Iodine Reference; Precision measurement; Modulation Transfer Spectroscopy