NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory: Five Years of Quantum Science Operations in Space

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 extend its useful mission lifetime and provide enhanced science. We also consider opportunities for follow-on missions informed by lessons learned from over five years of operation on orbit.