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Cold atom physics and its applications in a microgravity environment

Yu Wang

Published Jan 1, 2008• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

We review the field of cold atom physics and its applications in a microgravity environment,including atomic clocks in space,atomic interferometers,ultra-cold atom physics,and the proposed investigation of general relativity.A brief introduction is presented of the research in the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics on atomic clocks in space,Bose-Einstein condensation and atom chips in a microgravity environment.

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We review the field of cold atom physics and its applications in a microgravity environment,including atomic clocks in space,atomic interferometers,ultra-cold atom physics,and the proposed investigation of general relativity.A brief introduction is presented of the research in the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics on atomic clocks in space,Bose-Einstein condensation and atom chips in a microgravity environment.
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The fundamental principle of atom interferometer and the advantages of atom gravimeter in microgravity environment are introduced and the present research status and potential applications of atom gravimeters in microgravity environment are described. Compared with other gravimeters, the atomic interference gravimeter becomes a good choice for deep space gravitational field measurement, and the deep space microgravity environment can effectively prolong the interference time of the atomic interferometer and improve the gravimeter sensitivity.
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The Cold Atom Laboratory is a multipurpose ultracold gas experiment currently being developed for operation on the international space station. It will have the ability to demonstrate proof-of-principle atom interferometry experiments in space. By using microgravity, atom interferometry has the potential to achieve extremely good performance in sensing and navigation applications. Terrestrial experiments can be used to explore potential challenges and prior to launch. One issue of concern is the release of cold atoms from a magnetic trap into free space. Although the atoms will not fall, they can acquire relatively large velocities due to technical limitations such as stray magnetic fields. This can limit the time available for measurements and thus the atom interferometer performance.