NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory: Five Years of Quantum Science Operations in Space
Kamal Oudrhiri, James M. Kohel, Nate Harvey, James R. Kellogg, David C. Aveline, Roy L. Butler, Javier Bosch-Lluis, John L. Callas, Leo Y. Cheng, Arvid P. Croonquist, Walker L. Dula, Ethan R. Elliott, Jose E. Fernandez, Jorge Gonzales, Raymond J. Higuera, Shahram Javidnia

TL;DR
NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory has operated for over five years on the ISS, enabling groundbreaking quantum gas research in microgravity, including the creation of Bose-Einstein condensates and advancing space-based quantum science.
Contribution
This paper provides the first comprehensive overview of CAL's design, operation, scientific achievements, and future prospects in space-based quantum research.
Findings
First space-based Bose-Einstein condensate production.
Extended operational lifetime with recent upgrades.
Key scientific insights into quantum phenomena in microgravity.
Abstract
NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) is a multi-user science facility for studying quantum gases in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station. The persistent microgravity environment of the ISS enables research with ultracold atoms in a temperature regime and force-free environment inaccessible to terrestrial laboratories, unlocking the potential to observe novel quantum phenomena. CAL launched to the ISS in May 2018, and has operated continuously since then as the worlds first multi-user quantum science facility in space. CAL is the first experimental facility to produce the fifth state of matter known as a Bose-Einstein condensate with ultracold rubidium atoms on orbit and, more recently, with mixtures of rubidium and potassium. We present an overview of CAL's design and operation, review the scientific contributions to date, and discuss recent on-orbit upgrades to…
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Taxonomy
TopicsCold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates · Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research · Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena
