Bose-Einstein condensates in microgravity and fundamental tests of gravity

TL;DR

This paper reviews the use of light-pulse atom interferometers, especially Bose-Einstein condensates in microgravity, for high-precision tests of fundamental gravitational physics including G measurement, equivalence principle tests, dark energy searches, and gravitational wave detection.

Contribution

It provides an overview of current state-of-the-art techniques and proposals for using Bose-Einstein condensates in microgravity to enhance fundamental gravitational experiments.

Findings

Long-time interferometry in microgravity greatly increases sensitivity.

Bose-Einstein condensates offer advantages as atom sources.

Potential for new tests of gravity and dark energy detection.

Abstract

Light-pulse atom interferometers are highly sensitive to inertial and gravitational effects. As such they are promising candidates for tests of gravitational physics. In this article the state-of-the-art and proposals for fundamental tests of gravity are reviewed. They include the measurement of the gravitational constant $G$, tests of the weak equivalence principle, direct searches of dark energy and gravitational-wave detection. Particular emphasis is put on long-time interferometry in microgravity environments accompanied by an enormous increase of sensitivity. In addition, advantages as well as disadvantages of Bose-Einstein condensates as atom sources are discussed.