Pathfinder experiments with atom interferometry in the Cold Atom Lab onboard the International Space Station

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review

Authors

  • Jason R. Williams
  • Charles A. Sackett
  • Holger Ahlers
  • David C. Aveline
  • Patrick Boegel
  • Sofia Botsi
  • Eric Charron
  • Ethan R. Elliott
  • Naceur Gaaloul
  • Enno Giese
  • Waldemar Herr
  • James R. Kellogg
  • James M. Kohel
  • Norman E. Lay
  • Matthias Meister
  • Gabriel Müller
  • Holger Müller
  • Kamal Oudrhiri
  • Leah Phillips
  • Annie Pichery
  • Ernst M. Rasel
  • Albert Roura
  • Matteo Sbroscia
  • Wolfgang P. Schleich
  • Christian Schneider
  • Christian Schubert
  • Bejoy Sen
  • Robert J. Thompson
  • Nicholas P. Bigelow

Research Organisations

External Research Organisations

  • California Institute of Caltech (Caltech)
  • German Aerospace Center (DLR)
  • Ulm University
  • Universite Paris-Sud XI
  • Technische Universität Darmstadt
  • University of California at Berkeley
  • Texas A and M University
  • University of Rochester
  • University of Virginia
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number6414
Number of pages11
JournalNature Communications
Volume15
Issue number1
Early online date13 Aug 2024
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 13 Aug 2024

Abstract

Deployment of ultracold atom interferometers (AI) into space will capitalize on quantum advantages and the extended freefall of persistent microgravity to provide high-precision measurement capabilities for gravitational, Earth, and planetary sciences, and to enable searches for subtle forces signifying physics beyond General Relativity and the Standard Model. NASA’s Cold Atom Lab (CAL) operates onboard the International Space Station as a multi-user facility for fundamental studies of ultracold atoms and to mature space-based quantum technologies. We report on pathfinding experiments utilizing ultracold 87Rb atoms in the CAL AI. A three-pulse Mach–Zehnder interferometer was studied to understand the influence of ISS vibrations. Additionally, Ramsey shear-wave interferometry was used to manifest interference patterns in a single run that were observable for over 150 ms free-expansion time. Finally, the CAL AI was used to remotely measure the Bragg laser photon recoil as a demonstration of the first quantum sensor using matter-wave interferometry in space.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Pathfinder experiments with atom interferometry in the Cold Atom Lab onboard the International Space Station. / Williams, Jason R.; Sackett, Charles A.; Ahlers, Holger et al.
In: Nature Communications, Vol. 15, No. 1, 6414, 12.2024.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review

Williams, JR, Sackett, CA, Ahlers, H, Aveline, DC, Boegel, P, Botsi, S, Charron, E, Elliott, ER, Gaaloul, N, Giese, E, Herr, W, Kellogg, JR, Kohel, JM, Lay, NE, Meister, M, Müller, G, Müller, H, Oudrhiri, K, Phillips, L, Pichery, A, Rasel, EM, Roura, A, Sbroscia, M, Schleich, WP, Schneider, C, Schubert, C, Sen, B, Thompson, RJ & Bigelow, NP 2024, 'Pathfinder experiments with atom interferometry in the Cold Atom Lab onboard the International Space Station', Nature Communications, vol. 15, no. 1, 6414. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50585-6
Williams, J. R., Sackett, C. A., Ahlers, H., Aveline, D. C., Boegel, P., Botsi, S., Charron, E., Elliott, E. R., Gaaloul, N., Giese, E., Herr, W., Kellogg, J. R., Kohel, J. M., Lay, N. E., Meister, M., Müller, G., Müller, H., Oudrhiri, K., Phillips, L., ... Bigelow, N. P. (2024). Pathfinder experiments with atom interferometry in the Cold Atom Lab onboard the International Space Station. Nature Communications, 15(1), Article 6414. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50585-6
Williams JR, Sackett CA, Ahlers H, Aveline DC, Boegel P, Botsi S et al. Pathfinder experiments with atom interferometry in the Cold Atom Lab onboard the International Space Station. Nature Communications. 2024 Dec;15(1):6414. Epub 2024 Aug 13. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50585-6
Williams, Jason R. ; Sackett, Charles A. ; Ahlers, Holger et al. / Pathfinder experiments with atom interferometry in the Cold Atom Lab onboard the International Space Station. In: Nature Communications. 2024 ; Vol. 15, No. 1.
Download
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