A high-flux BEC source for mobile atom interferometers

TL;DR

This paper presents a compact, high-flux Bose-Einstein condensate source capable of producing degenerate atom ensembles at high rates, suitable for mobile quantum sensors and interferometers in various environments.

Contribution

The authors developed a miniaturized, robust BEC source with high flux and repetition rate, enabling portable quantum sensors comparable to lab-based systems.

Findings

Achieved a flux of 4×10^5 atoms every 1.6 seconds.

Produced 1×10^5 atoms at 1 Hz rate.

Flux comparable to lab-based BEC experiments and interferometers.

Abstract

Quantum sensors based on coherent matter-waves are precise measurement devices whose ultimate accuracy is achieved with Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) in extended free fall. This is ideally realized in microgravity environments such as drop towers, ballistic rockets and space platforms. However, the transition from lab-based BEC machines to robust and mobile sources with comparable performance is a challenging endeavor. Here we report on the realization of a miniaturized setup, generating a flux of $4 \times 10^5$ quantum degenerate $^{87}$Rb atoms every 1.6$\,$s. Ensembles of $1 \times 10^5$ atoms can be produced at a 1$\,$Hz rate. This is achieved by loading a cold atomic beam directly into a multi-layer atom chip that is designed for efficient transfer from laser-cooled to magnetically trapped clouds. The attained flux of degenerate atoms is on par with current lab-based BEC experiments while offering significantly higher repetition rates. Additionally, the flux is approaching those of current interferometers employing Raman-type velocity selection of laser-cooled atoms. The compact and robust design allows for mobile operation in a variety of demanding environments and paves the way for transportable high-precision quantum sensors.