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Quantum Science and Technology

A quantum science space station

Robert J. Thompson, Makan Mahageg, Jim Kellogg, Todd J. Mosher, Ray Ramadorai, Tara M. Ruttley, Erika B. Wagner, Lisa Wörner

Published Nov 1, 2022• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract In the coming years we expect to see a diverse array of quantum instruments being developed and flown in space, including quantum gas experiments, optical clocks, atom interferometry experiments, and quantum information/quantum optics experiments. The International Space Station has proven itself as an exceptional platform for such missions, providing long-term microgravity in a pressurized and temperature controlled environment, with ample power, thermal and data resources. However the station is currently planned to operate only through 2030, well before many proposed quantum sciences missions could be ready for launch, and we undertake here to explore what an ideal follow-on platform might look like. In particular, we believe that a much smaller and less expensive low Earth orbiting facility, optimized and dedicated to quantum science, could be an exceptionally powerful platform for exploring the quantum world and harnessing quantum technology. Such a platform would allow multiple quantum instruments to share resources and explore related phenomena in concert.

DOI
10.1088/2058-9565/ac9e70

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Abstract In the coming years we expect to see a diverse array of quantum instruments being developed and flown in space, including quantum gas experiments, optical clocks, atom interferometry experiments, and quantum information/quantum optics experiments. The International Space Station has proven itself as an exceptional platform for such missions, providing long-term microgravity in a pressurized and temperature controlled environment, with ample power, thermal and data resources. However the station is currently planned to operate only through 2030, well before many proposed quantum sciences missions could be ready for launch, and we undertake here to explore what an ideal follow-on platform might look like. In particular, we believe that a much smaller and less expensive low Earth orbiting facility, optimized and dedicated to quantum science, could be an exceptionally powerful platform for exploring the quantum world and harnessing quantum technology. Such a platform would allow multiple quantum instruments to share resources and explore related phenomena in concert.
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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].
"What are atoms doing in space anyways?" This talk will provide a brief overview of applications of quantum technologies in space ranging from precise timing and inertial measurements to fundamental physics. Quantum technologies have seen a wide field of applications in medicine, geosciences, computing and communications, in many cases bridging the gap from laboratory experiments to commercial products in the last decade. For terrestrial applications that is. But what about going to space? Quantum physics based sensors and experiments promise higher accuracy, sensitivity or better long term stability as they rely on immutable properties of atoms. When properly manipulated, these (ultra-)cold atoms are likely to outperform state of the art instruments. Experiments conducted on sounding rockets demonstrated important steps like Bose-Einstein Condensate creation during a few minutes in microgravity, enabling more advanced quantum experiments in the future. The International Space Station and the Tiangong Space Station host dedicated experiments like ultrastable clocks as well as flexible research infrastructure for fundamental research benefitting from long free-fall times. However, the deployment of such technologies on satellites is not as advanced. Satellite missions utilizing quantum sensors or performing long term experiments are subject to studies and proposals backed by a broad scientific community aiming at better understanding of climate change, interplanetary navigation or tests of general relativity. First steps towards realization of such missions are taken by ESA, NASA and various national space agencies as well as universities funded by national agencies or the EU. This talk will detect the current state of atoms in space and give an overview of active programs to deploy quantum sensors on operational satellite missions. The focus is on future applications in geosciences and related fields employing the same technology.
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.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Deep Space Quantum Link mission concept enables a unique set of science experiments by establishing robust quantum optical links across extremely long baselines. Potential mission configurations include establishing a quantum link between the Lunar Gateway moon-orbiting space station and nodes on or near the Earth. This publication summarizes the principal experimental goals of the Deep Space Quantum Link. These goals, identified through a multi-year design study conducted by the authors, include long-range teleportation, tests of gravitational coupling to quantum states, and advanced tests of quantum nonlocality.