Space-borne Bose-Einstein condensation for precision interferometry

TL;DR

This paper reports on creating Bose-Einstein condensates in space aboard a sounding rocket, demonstrating precise control and manipulation of quantum gases during free-fall, which enhances sensitivity for interferometry and quantum experiments.

Contribution

First successful creation and manipulation of BECs in space, enabling advanced quantum experiments with extended free-fall times and high reproducibility.

Findings

Demonstrated BEC creation in space during a six-minute free-fall

Achieved high reproducibility in BEC manipulation on the atom chip

Explored phase transition and collective dynamics of BECs in microgravity

Abstract

Space offers virtually unlimited free-fall in gravity. Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) enables ineffable low kinetic energies corresponding to pico- or even femtokelvins. The combination of both features makes atom interferometers with unprecedented sensitivity for inertial forces possible and opens a new era for quantum gas experiments. On January 23, 2017, we created Bose-Einstein condensates in space on the sounding rocket mission MAIUS-1 and conducted 110 experiments central to matter-wave interferometry. In particular, we have explored laser cooling and trapping in the presence of large accelerations as experienced during launch, and have studied the evolution, manipulation and interferometry employing Bragg scattering of BECs during the six-minute space flight. In this letter, we focus on the phase transition and the collective dynamics of BECs, whose impact is magnified by the extended free-fall time. Our experiments demonstrate a high reproducibility of the manipulation of BECs on the atom chip reflecting the exquisite control features and the robustness of our experiment. These properties are crucial to novel protocols for creating quantum matter with designed collective excitations at the lowest kinetic energy scales close to femtokelvins.