BECCAL - Quantum optics with Bose-Einstein condensates and mixtures aboard the ISS

D. Latorre-Bastidas, Faruk A. Sellami, Jean Pierre Marburger +25 more

Dennis Becker, Kai Frye-Arndt, Christian Schubert +1 more

Cesar R. Cabrera, Luca Tanzi, Sanz, J. +4 more

Bose-Einstein condensates

Marvin G. Warner, Jens Große, Lisa Wörner +4 more

The BECCAL (Bose-Einstein-Condensate – Cold Atom Laboratory) apparatus is a high precision quantum optics experiment which will fly on the International Space Station (ISS). It shall be constructed and operated within a bilateral collaboration between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). As a multi user facility, BECCAL shall satisfy the needs of both the American and German scientific community concerning cold atom physics. Various needs are expressed for the functionalities of the scientific apparatus extended by the requirements for operation of an instrument aboard the ISS. For installation into the dedicated accommodation the complex systems have to be mechanically and thermally designed to meet these requirements. Additionally BECCAL has to fit into the Size Weight and Power (SWaP) budget given by the launcher and the ISS rack. This paper gives a summary of the project BECCAL and its environment. Furthermore, the mechanical design of the system is presented. A preliminary approach for the Thermal Control System (TCS) of BECCAL is pointed out afterwards. The paper closes with a conclusion and an outlook on the future work for BECCAL.

Ahlers, Holger, Waldemar Herr

The Bose-Einstein Condensate and Cold Atom Laboratory (BECCAL) is a DLR-NASA collaboration targeting the operation of a multi-user facility aboard the International Space Station (ISS). BECCAL will be a pathfinder mission to test concepts of future quantum sensors with applications in e.g. gravity missions for earth observation and search for a violation of the universality of free fall. It will feature various capabilities for quantum-optical, atom-optical, and atom-interferometric manipulation methods of laser-cooled atoms and notably Bose-Einstein condensates. The persistent microgravity condition aboard the ISS opens the opportunity for enhanced free-fall times, overlapping multi-species trap configurations impossible on earth thanks to the lack of gravitational sag, and repeatability for detailed statistical analysis. In this contribution the design implementation of these capabilities will be presented and derived performance estimates will be discussed. The BECCAL payload is designed and constructed by the BECCAL Collaboration comprising the DLR Institute of Quantum Technology, the DLR Institute for Satellite Geodesy and Inertial Sensing, the DLR Institute for Software Technology, the Leibniz Universität Hannover, the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, the Ferdinand Braun Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik, the Universität Bremen, the Universtität Hamburg, the Universität Ulm, and OHB System AG, with funding support by the DLR Space Agency.

Victoria Henderson, Jean Pierre Marburger, André Wenzlawski +31 more

We present the design of laser systems for the Bose-Einstein Condensate and Cold Atom Laboratory (BECCAL) payload, enabling numerous quantum technological experiments onboard the International Space Station (ISS), in particular dual species 87 Rb and 41 K Bose-Einstein condensates. A flight model (FM) and a commercial off the shelf (COTS) based model are shown, both of which meet the BECCAL requirements in terms of functionality, but have differing size, weight and power (SWaP) and environmental requirements. The capabilities of both models are discussed and characteristics compared. The flight model of BECCAL uses specifically developed and qualified custom components to create a compact and robust system suitable for long-term remote operation onboard the ISS. This system is based on ECDL-MOPA lasers and free-space optical benches made of Zerodur, as well as commercial fibre components. The COTS-based system utilizes entirely commercial parts to create a functionally equivalent system for operation in a standard laboratory, without the strict SWaP and environmental constraints of the flight model.