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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.

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

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.