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Space-borne Bose–Einstein condensation for precision interferometry

Dennis Becker

Published Feb 13, 2019• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Owing to the low-gravity conditions in space, space-borne laboratories enable experiments with extended free-fall times. Because Bose–Einstein condensates have an extremely low expansion energy, space-borne atom interferometers based on Bose–Einstein condensation have the potential to have much greater sensitivity to inertial forces than do similar ground-based interferometers. On 23 January 2017, as part of the sounding-rocket mission MAIUS- 1, we created Bose–Einstein condensates in space and conducted 110 experiments central to matter-wave interferometry, including laser cooling and trapping of atoms in the presence of the large accelerations experienced during launch. Here we report on experiments conducted during the six minutes of in-space flight in which we studied the phase transition from a thermal ensemble to a Bose–Einstein condensate and the collective dynamics of the resulting condensate. Our results provide insights into conducting cold-atom experiments in space, such as precision interferometry, and pave the way to miniaturizing cold-atom and photon-based quantum information concepts for satellite-based implementation. In addition, space-borne Bose–Einstein condensation opens up the possibility of quantum gas experiments in low-gravity conditions1,2.

DOI
10.5281/zenodo.2563904

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Owing to the low-gravity conditions in space, space-borne laboratories enable experiments with extended free-fall times. Because Bose–Einstein condensates have an extremely low expansion energy, space-borne atom interferometers based on Bose–Einstein condensation have the potential to have much greater sensitivity to inertial forces than do similar ground-based interferometers. On 23 January 2017, as part of the sounding-rocket mission MAIUS- 1, we created Bose–Einstein condensates in space and conducted 110 experiments central to matter-wave interferometry, including laser cooling and trapping of atoms in the presence of the large accelerations experienced during launch. Here we report on experiments conducted during the six minutes of in-space flight in which we studied the phase transition from a thermal ensemble to a Bose–Einstein condensate and the collective dynamics of the resulting condensate. Our results provide insights into conducting cold-atom experiments in space, such as precision interferometry, and pave the way to miniaturizing cold-atom and photon-based quantum information concepts for satellite-based implementation. In addition, space-borne Bose–Einstein condensation opens up the possibility of quantum gas experiments in low-gravity conditions1,2.
On 23rd of January 2017 the first Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) in Space was created on-board the sounding rocket mission MAIUS-1. The successful launch marks a major advancement in the effort of performing matter wave interferometry with BECs on space vehicles. Its high BEC-flux enables more than 100 experiments during flight, characterizing the creation of BECs in space, their free evolution, state preparation, and the creation of cold atoms in highly dynamic environments. MAIUS-1 opens a new path towards space borne inertial sensing employing interferometers with high accuracy and sensitivity. Two follow-up missions will investigate dual-species interferometry. Recently several missions were proposed ranging from tests of the universality of free fall to gravimetry. Due to their small initial size and low expansion rates BECs are the ideal source for such an interferometric measurement. The findings of the mission will contribute to the NASA CAL project and BECCAL (NASA and DLR). This research is funded by DLR under grant 50WP1435.
Ultra-cold quantum gases in space promise to boost the sensitivity of matter-wave interferometers. Applications of the latter extend from fundamental physics over the use in navigation to interdisciplinary applications such as geodesy, e.g. satellite gravimetry [1, 2]. Exploiting quantum gases for high-precision interferometry places high demands on their control and manipulation. We take benefit of various microgravity platforms such as the Bremen drop tower [3], the Einstein elevator in Hannover [4], sounding rockets [5,6] and the international space station [7] to advance the necessary methods. The DLR-mission MAIUS-1 demonstrated Bose-Einstein condensation and performed first interferometry experiments [4]. NASA’s Cold Atom Laboratory continues this research in orbit on the ISS [7]. In addition, atom interferometry is pursued in highly dynamic environments such as parabolic flights [8]. Starting from a rubidium Bose-Einstein condensate, recently lowest expansion energies have been achieved by us in the Bremen drop tower as required for extending atom interferometry over several seconds [9]. Extending these methods to quantum mixtures not only opens up new physics in the absence of buoyancy, but also faces challenges regarding their use for interferometry. Interferometers based on two chemical elements have been proposed for quantum tests of the equivalence principle on the ISS as well as on satellites. Currently we prepare a sounding rocket mission to investigate the simultaneous generation and manipulation of potassium and rubidium condensates [10]. Together with CAL [7], these experiments will prepare the DLR-NASA multi-user facility BECCAL for research on quantum gas mixtures and interferometry [11] as well as enhance the readiness level of methods required for STE-QUEST [12], a proposal for a satellite mission currently studied in an modified version within ESA’s VOYAGE 2050 program [13].
On 23rd of January 2017 the first Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) in Space was created on-board the sounding rocket mission MAIUS-1. The successful launch marks a major advancement in the effort of performing matter wave interferometry with BECs on space vehicles. Its high BEC-flux enables more than 100 experiments during flight, characterizing the creation of BECs in space, their free evolution, state preparation, and the creation of cold atoms in highly dynamic environments. MAIUS-1 opens a new path towards space borne inertial sensing employing interferometers with high accuracy and sensitivity. Two follow-up missions will investigate dual-species interferometry. Recently several missions were proposed ranging from tests of the universality of free fall to gravimetry. Due to their small initial size and low expansion rates BECs are the ideal source for such an interferometric measurement. The findings of the mission will contribute to the NASA CAL project and BECCAL (NASA and DLR). This research is funded by DLR under grant 50WP1435.
On 23rd of January 2017 the first Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) in Space was created on-board the sounding rocket mission MAIUS-1. The successful launch marks a major advancement in the effort of performing matter wave interferometry with BECs on space vehicles. Its high BEC-flux enables more than 100 experiments during flight, characterizing the creation of BECs in space, their free evolution, state preparation, and the creation of cold atoms in highly dynamic environments. MAIUS-1 opens a new path towards space borne inertial sensing employing interferometers with high accuracy and sensitivity. Two follow-up missions will investigate dual-species interferometry. Recently several missions were proposed ranging from tests of the universality of free fall to gravimetry. Due to their small initial size and low expansion rates BECs are the ideal source for such an interferometric measurement. The findings of the mission will contribute to the NASA CAL project and BECCAL (NASA and DLR). This research is funded by DLR under grant 50WP1435.
Extended free fall enables experiments with quantum gases unbiased by gravity. Apart from a 10m-fountain, we have access to various platforms comprising the Bremen drop- and gravi-tower, the Einstein Elevator, sounding rockets as well as NASA‘s cold atom laboratory (CAL) in orbit, all offering experiments with different durations and repetition rates. Atom chips turned out to successfully create Rubidium Bose-Einstein condensates on these platforms. Recently we have lowered the expansion energies of Bose-Einstein condensates to an unprecedented level corresponding to 38pK which makes them an excellent resource for interferometry. We exploit the latter to study delta-kick collimation as well to extend interferometry times in free fall. Atom chips also allow to investigate quantum mixtures in absence of bouyancy. For this purpose, we have been creating potassium 41 BECs by sympathetic cooling with rubidium. These experiments were continued to space by sounding rocket missions and the CAL. In future, the recently inaugurated Einstein elevator as well as gravitower will be important platforms to increase the experimental cycles to study quantum gas mixtures and high-precision interferometry as well as to test fundamental physics such as Einstein’s principle of equivalence and the nature of dark energy on ground in free fall.
Inertial sensors based on matter-wave interferometry are currently approaching the precision and accuracy of state-of-the-art classical sensors. While these devices are often realised with ultracold but not Bose-condensed atoms as matter waves, employing Bose-Einstein Condensates (BEC) promises to overcome certain limitations, especially those related to the ensemble's expansion. The point-source like character of BECs also enables utilising spatial interference patterns to measure e.g. rotation rates in single-shot experiments. Matter wave-based inertial sensors are considered for experiments ranging from Gravitational Wave detection to tests of the Universality of Free Fall (UFF) to gain insight into the joint between Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity. In the scope of this thesis, matter-wave interferometry with BECs was demonstrated for the first time in a microgravity environment with the QUANTUS-1 apparatus. The same instrument was then employed as a quantum tiltmeter utilising a novel beam-splitting mechanism known as Bragg Double Diffraction. To this end, the QUANTUS-1 apparatus designed as a BEC instrument to be operated in the drop tower at ZARM at University of Bremen was equipped with optics and laser systems required for performing matter-wave interferometry based on Bragg Diffraction. The apparatus employs an atom chip to create BECs of around 10000 Rubidium 87 atoms within 15 s. With a Mach-Zehnder like interferometer scheme, spatial interference fringes were observed after a free evolution time in the interferometer of up to 677 ms. To achieve these long time scales, a method known as Delta-Kick Collimation (DKC) was adapted to slow the expansion of the BEC to a kinetic energy equivalent below 1 nK, and the atoms were transferred to a non-magnetic Zeeman state via an adiabatic rapid passage (ARP). A similar interferometer scheme with a newly developed beam-splitter mechanism known as Bragg Double Diffraction was used to measure the tilt of the instrument on ground with a precision of up to 4.4 AA rad. This thesis presents an overview of the apparatus including ground-based characterisations of all required experimental steps. Results from over 400 free fall experiments are evaluated for expansion studies of the BEC and matter-wave interferometry in microgravity. The time-evolution of first and second order Bragg Double Diffraction beam splitters is studied, and an interferometer sensitive to the tilt of the instrument is implemented. Based on this work, a gravimeter with a new launch mechanism comprising Bragg beam splitters and Bloch oscillations to enable atomic fountains in atom-chip based devices was developed. The microgravity experiments were adapted for the MAIUS-1 sounding-rocket instrument to create the first man-made BEC in outer space and study the feasibility of operating matter-wave interferometers on space-borne platforms. The results of this thesis lay the groundwork for future space-borne missions using matter-wave interferometry for precision measurements of inertial forces.