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The transportable Quantum Gravimeter QG-1 is based on the principle of atom interferometry with collimated Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) to determine the absolute value of the local gravitational acceleration g, aiming for an unprecedented level of accuracy < 3 nm s−2. The QG-1 uses an atom-chip to produce well-defined magnetic fields, allowing high controllability of the atomic cloud and creating a BEC. After release from the magnetic trap into free fall, using well-controlled laser pulses the BEC is split, each part accumulating phase on its trajectory during free fall, and thereafter recombined, leading to self-interference. From the phase difference of the two parts of the BEC, the local gravitational acceleration g can be determined. Environmental vibrations contribute to the accumulating phase during free fall, leading to a disturbing phase shift of the interfering BEC. By measuring the high-frequency environmental noise with a classical accelerometer, this additional phase shift can be infered and corrected for in the determination of g.In this contribution tide-resolving results of the latest measurement campaign with implemented classical sensors to correct for high-frequency vibrations with an accelerometer and drifts with a tiltmeter will be presented, rendering an important milestone for the development of our QG-1.We acknowledge financial funding by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) - Project-ID 434617780 - SFB 1464 TerraQ and under Germany’s Excellence Strategy - EXC 2123 QuantumFrontiers, Project-ID 390837967.

The transportable Quantum Gravimeter QG-1 derives the local gravity value from the interferometric signal of magnetically collimated Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) released into free-fall and detected by absorption imaging. The objective of the device is to determine the local gravity value with an uncertainty < 3 nm/s2. The projected gain in accuracy in contrast to cold atoms is facilitated by the minimised initial velocity and expansion rate of the BEC.In this contribution we describe our transportable setup, the status of implementation of first interferometric studies and give an evaluation of preliminary gravity data recorded with the Quantum Gravimeter QG-1, showing the operability of key functionalities of the device and the validity ofthe concept. We indicate next steps to increase the instrument’s sensitivity and to verify the measurement’s level of uncertainty.The research is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy – EXC-2123QuantumFrontiers – 390837967 and under Project-ID 434617780 – SFB 1464 TerraQ - Relativistic and Quantum-based Geodesy.

International audience; Recent developments in quantum technology have resulted in a new generation of sensors for measuring inertial quantities, such as acceleration and rotation. These sensors can exhibit unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy when operated in space, where the free-fall interrogation time can be extended at will and where the environment noise is minimal. European laboratories have played a leading role in this field by developing concepts and tools to operate these quantum sensors in relevant environment, such as parabolic flights, free-fall towers, or sounding rockets. With the recent achievement of Bose–Einstein condensation on the International Space Station, the challenge is now to reach a technology readiness level sufficiently high at both component and system levels to provide “off the shelf” payload for future generations of space missions in geodesy or fundamental physics. In this roadmap, we provide an extensive review on the status of all common parts, needs, and subsystems for the application of atom-based interferometers in space, in order to push for the development of generic technology components.

Ultracold quantum gases are ideal sources for high-precision space-borne sensing as proposed for Earth observation, relativistic geodesy and tests of fundamental physical laws as well as for studying new phenomena in many-body physics extended free fall. By performing experiments with the Cold Atom Lab aboard the International Space Station, we have achieved exquisite control over the quantum state of single Bose-Einstein condensates paving the way for future high-precision measurements. In particular, we have applied fast transport protocols to shuttle the atomic cloud over a millimeter distance with sub-micrometer accuracy and subsequently drastically reduced the total expansion energy to below 100 pK with matterwave lensing techniques., 25 pages, 10 figures

Employing quantum sensors in field or in space implies demanding requirements on the used components and integration technologies. Within our work on compact atomic sensors, we develop miniaturized, ultra-stable optical setups for optical cooling and trapping of cold atomic gases on atom chips. Besides challenging demands on alignment precision and thermo-mechanical durability, we specifically address ultra-high vacuum (UHV) compatibility of our adhesive integration technology and the assembled optical components. A prototype of an UHV-compatible, crossed beam optical dipole trap at 1064 nm for application within a cold rubidium atomic quantum sensor currently in development at the Joint Lab Integrated Quantum Sensors at Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut fur Hochstfrequenztechnik is described. We describe the design and first qualification efforts on adhesive micro-integration technologies. These tests are conducted in application-relevant geometries and material combinations common for micro-integrated optical setups. Adhesive aging will be investigated by thermal cycling and radiation exposure. For vacuum compatibility testing, a versatile UHV testing system for samples up to $$65\times 65\,\text{mm}^2$$ footprint is currently being set up, enabling residual gas analysis, temperature cycling up to $$200\,^{\circ }\text{C}$$ and measurement of total gas rates down to expected $$5\times 10^{-10}\,\text{mbar}\,\text{l/s}$$ at a base pressure of $$10^{-11}\,\text{mbar}$$, exceeding the common ASTM E595 test.

Atom interferometry enables quantum sensors for absolute measurements of gravity (1) and gravity gradients (2). The combination with classical sensors can be exploited to suppress vibration noise in the interferometer, extend the dynamic range, or to remove the drift from the classical device (3). These features motivate novel sensor and mission concepts for space-borne earth observation e.g. with quantum gradiometers (4) or hybridised atom interferometers (5). We will discuss developments of atom optics and atom interferometry in microgravity in the context of future quantum sensors (6) and outline the perspectives for applications in space (4,5).The presented work is supported by by the CRC 1227 DQmat within the projects B07 and B09, the CRC 1464 TerraQ within the projects A01, A02 and A03, by "Niedersächsisches Vorab" through "Förderung von Wissenschaft und Technik in Forschung und Lehre" for the initial funding of research in the new DLR-SI Institute, and through the "Quantum and Nano- Metrology (QUANOMET)" initiative within the project QT3.(1) V. Ménoret et al., Scientific Reports 8, 12300, 2018; A. Trimeche et al., Phys. Rev. Appl. 7, 034016, 2017; C. Freier et al., J. of Phys.: Conf. Series 723, 012050, 2016; A. Louchet-Chauvet et al., New J. Phys. 13, 065026, 2011; A. Peters et al., Nature 400, 849, 1999.(2) P. Asenbaum et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 183602, 2017; M. J. Snadden et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 971, 1998.(3) L. Richardson et al., Comm. Phys. 3, 208, 2020; P. Cheiney et al., Phys. Rev. Applied 10, 034030, 2018; J. Lautier et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 105, 144102, 2014.(4) A. Trimeche et al., Class. Quantum Grav. 36, 215004, 2019; K. Douch et al., Adv. Space. Res. 61, 1301, 2018.(5) T. Lévèque et al., arXiv:2011.03382; S. Chiow et al., Phys. Rev. A 92, 063613, 2015.(6) M. Lachmann et al., arXiv:2101.00972; K. Frye et al., EPJ Quant. Technol. 8, 1, 2021; D. Becker et al., Nature 562, 391, 2018; J. Rudolph et al., New J. Phys. 17, 065001, 2015; H. Müntinga et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 093602 , 2013.

The transportable Quantum Gravimeter QG-1 will perform absolute measurements of local gravitational acceleration with an unrivalled uncertainty below 3 nm/s² by utilising collimated Bose-Einstein-Condensates for atom interferometry in a compact setup. To permit this performance, leading order error sources of today’s cold atom gravimeters, predominantly stemming from the horizontal velocity of the interrogated atoms, will be minimised by this novel approach.This contribution elaborates on the design and implementation of the interferometry setup into the atom chip based experimental system. We discuss their impact on the targeted uncertainty of 3 nm/s² and present recent developments for further miniaturisation and further reduction of next-generation instrument's complexities.We acknowledge financial support from "Niedersächsisches Vorab" through "Förderung von Wissenschaft und Technik in Forschung und Lehre" for the initial funding of research in the new DLR-SI Institute and by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) in the project A01 of the SFB 1128 geo-Q and under Germany's Excellence Strategy - EXC 2123 QuantumFrontiers, Project-ID 390837967.

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., 6 pages, 4 figures

Abstract Gravimetry with low uncertainty and long-term stability opens up new fields of research in geodesy, especially in hydrology and volcanology. The main limitations in the accuracy of current generation cold atom gravimeters stem from the expansion rate and the residual centre-of-mass motion of their atomic test masses. Our transportable quantum gravimeter QG-1 aims at overcoming these limitations by performing atom interferometry with delta-kick collimated Bose–Einstein condensates generated by an atom chip. With our approach we anticipate to measure the local gravitational acceleration at geodetic campaigns with an uncertainty less than 1 nm/s2 surpassing the state-of-the-art classic and quantum based systems. In this paper, we discuss the design and performance assessment of QG-1. Graphical abstract

Clouds of ultra-cold atoms and especially Bose–Einstein condensates (BEC) provide a source for coherent matter-waves in numerous earth bound experiments. Analogous to optical interferometry, matter-wave interferometers can be used for precision measurements allowing for a sensitivity orders of magnitude above their optical counterparts. However, in some respects the presence of gravitational forces in the lab limits experimental possibilities. In this article, we report about a compact and robust experiment generating Bose–Einstein condensates in the drop tower facility in Bremen, Germany. We also present the progress of building the succeeding experiment in which a two species atom interferometer will be implemented to test the weak equivalence principle with quantum matter.

The weak equivalence principle (EP) represents a corner stone in the general theory of relativity [1] . The validity of this postulate was and is currently tested in different groups with different systems. Among this multitude of methods atom interferometry is considered to be one of the most promising tools in performing high-precision measurements [2] . Using two atom species in free fall with different masses allows comparing two independent measurements of g. This is made possible by creating a mixture of two atomic species at a temperature close to absolute zero. This regime is suitable for the observation of matter waves at long time scales needed for high-precision quantum tests. In this letter an overview of the developments of our quantum sensor devices is done. The up-to-date progress and future prospects in our group of these ambitious and technically challenging projects are briefly presented as well.

Going Down the Tube Two pillars of modern physics are quantum mechanics and general relativity. So far, both have remained apart with no quantum mechanical description of gravity available. Van Zoest et al. (p. 1540 ; see the Perspective by Nussenzveig and Barata ) present work with a macroscopic quantum mechanical system—a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of rubidium atoms in which the cloud of atoms is cooled into a collective quantum state—in microgravity. By dropping the BEC down a 146-meter-long drop chamber and monitoring the expansion of the quantum gas under these microgravity conditions, the authors provide a proof-of-principle demonstration of a technique that can probe the boundary of quantum mechanics and general relativity and perhaps offer the opportunity to reconcile the two experimentally.

Atom interferometers have a multitude of proposed applications in space including precise measurements of the Earth's gravitational field, in navigation & ranging, and in fundamental physics such as tests of the weak equivalence principle (WEP) and gravitational wave detection. While atom interferometers are realized routinely in ground-based laboratories, current efforts aim at the development of a space compatible design optimized with respect to dimensions, weight, power consumption, mechanical robustness and radiation hardness. In this paper, we present a design of a high-sensitivity differential dual species $^{85}$Rb/$^{87}$Rb atom interferometer for space, including physics package, laser system, electronics and software. The physics package comprises the atom source consisting of dispensers and a 2D magneto-optical trap (MOT), the science chamber with a 3D-MOT, a magnetic trap based on an atom chip and an optical dipole trap (ODT) used for Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) creation and interferometry, the detection unit, the vacuum system for $10^{-11}$ mbar ultra-high vacuum generation, and the high-suppression factor magnetic shielding as well as the thermal control system. The laser system is based on a hybrid approach using fiber-based telecom components and high-power laser diode technology and includes all laser sources for 2D-MOT, 3D-MOT, ODT, interferometry and detection. Manipulation and switching of the laser beams is carried out on an optical bench using Zerodur bonding technology. The instrument consists of 9 units with an overall mass of 221 kg, an average power consumption of 608 W (819 W peak), and a volume of 470 liters which would well fit on a satellite to be launched with a Soyuz rocket, as system studies have shown., 30 pages, 23 figures, accepted for publication in Experimental Astronomy

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., 22 pages, 6 figures

The theory of general relativity describes macroscopic phenomena driven by the influence of gravity while quantum mechanics brilliantly accounts for microscopic effects. Despite their tremendous individual success, a complete unification of fundamental interactions is missing and remains one of the most challenging and important quests in modern theoretical physics. The STE-QUEST satellite mission, proposed as a medium-size mission within the Cosmic Vision program of the European Space Agency (ESA), aims for testing general relativity with high precision in two experiments by performing a measurement of the gravitational redshift of the Sun and the Moon by comparing terrestrial clocks, and by performing a test of the Universality of Free Fall of matter waves in the gravitational field of Earth comparing the trajectory of two Bose-Einstein condensates of Rb85 and Rb87. The two ultracold atom clouds are monitored very precisely thanks to techniques of atom interferometry. This allows to reach down to an uncertainty in the E\"otv\"os parameter of at least 2x10E-15. In this paper, we report about the results of the phase A mission study of the atom interferometer instrument covering the description of the main payload elements, the atomic source concept, and the systematic error sources., Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures

Stroke and other thromboembolic events are mainly caused by emboli from heart, aorta and other arteries. In this paper we describe a group of 5 middle-aged patients suffering from emboli caused by large thrombi in the aorta. Since the development of giant thrombi under high flow conditions in the aorta is a pathophysiological process which is not well understood, a model of flow distribution by numerically simulating the Navier–Stokes equation for an incompressible fluid was generated. This model simulated how such thrombi may develop in the aorta. We hypothesize that large thrombi issuing from the aortic vessel wall represent a underestimated entity in middleaged persons and are probably overlooked as the cause of stroke or other embolic events in some cases.

We present and investigate different external cavity diode laser (ECDL) configurations for the manipulation of neutrals atoms, wavelength-stabilized by a narrow-band high transmission interference filter. A novel diode laser, providing high output power of more than 1 W, with a linewidth of less than 200 kHz, based on a self-seeded tapered amplifier chip has been developed. Additionally, we compare the optical and spectral properties of two laser systems based on common laser diodes, differing in their coating, as well as one, based on a distributed-feedback (DFB) diode. The linear cavity setup in all these systems combines a robust and compact design with a high wavelength tunability and an improved stability of the optical feedback compared to diode laser setups using diffraction gratings for wavelength discrimination., 9 pages, 3 figures, 1 table

Summary form only given. The very high sensitivity of matter-wave interferometry for detecting accelerations and rotations has made it to an ideal tool for applications in fundamental physics and metrology. We report on the status of our dual atom interferometer for the precise determination of inertial forces. The aim is to investigate different interferometer pulse sequences, and measurements strategies like continuous or pulsed operation. In this project we use the synchronous operation of two counterpropagating atom interferometers to discriminate between accelerations and rotations. The ensembles of 10 muk cold 87Rb atoms are launched with a velocity of about 4.4m/s from two double-mot sources on precisely controlled parabolas into the interferometer chamber. After the preparation of the atoms in the groundstate, a sequence of three atom-light interactions follows in the interferometry chamber forming the actual interferometer by coherently splitting, deflecting and recombining the atoms. These manipulations have been realized with optical Raman transitions. The detection is realized by measuring the fluorescence light in both output states in each interferometer. All this allows for a compact and transportable setup while still enabling sensitivities comparable to the best conventional sensors. In the current low resolution mode, we optimize critical interferometer components such as atom preparation and detection and analyze systematic effects.Finally the scheme to upgrade the experiment to the full sensitivity of 2*10-9 rad/s for 1*108 atoms per shot at a velocity of 3m/s was presented.

Bose Einstein Condensates (BEC) opened the way for realization of atomic ensembles with Heisenberg limited uncertainty. In microgravity extremely dilute samples of BEC can be obtained and observed after a free evolution on timescales of seconds. Applications range from atom optics to matter wave interferometry. This has led us to realize a BEC of 10000 87Rb atoms in microgravity. The experimental results (to be published) establish the fact, that in a microgravity environment ultra-large condensates (≈1.5 mm) after a free evolution of 1 second can be observed. In particular, microgravity provides mass independent confining potential which is very important for the research on a mixture of quantum gases.We aim to realize a new setup for multispecies experiments, which can be used in catapult mode doubling the time for microgravity to 9 seconds. The experiment is planned to use 87Rb and 40K as degenerate Bose and Fermi gases respectively and can be used to carry out experiments on interferometry, Bose-Fermi mixtures and tests of the weak equivalence principle in quantum domain. Up to date progress and future prospects of this ambitious and technically challenging project will be presented.

A breakthrough in cold atom quantum technology is hindered by a bottleneck in the supporting technologies. We discuss a cold atom technology platform developed within the European iSense project, aiming at a gravimeter as demonstrator.