Today, quantum technology is expected to revolutionise our understanding of computing, communication, time-keeping and, especially, sensing. Standing out from today’s inertial measurement units, atom interferometers have proven their superior drift-free measurement principle in laboratory experiments, as well as in transportable devices. The next leap towards lower drift and higher accuracy is expected by using Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) as probes for the inertial measurement (see QG-1). In 2017, BEC interferometers have even proven their high robustness by performing measurements in space on a sounding rocket mission (see MAIUS). Despite this promising properties, BEC interferometers still suffer from their high complexity, making a support by experienced personnel imperative and, by this, hindering their commercialization.
In this project, we strive for the development of radically new approaches leading to a simplification of the BEC interferometer technology. By combining lately reported methods and extending these to high performance interferometry we are setting up innovative new BEC interferometer prototypes. We develop new generations of atom chips made of low-outgassing, hermetic sealable materials, being equipped with high-quality reflective surfaces or featuring grating structures, and directly incorporate the necessary optics for BEC interferometry. We strive for the demonstration of an innovative, not yet existent, BEC production scheme to drastically simplify this complex quantum technology. This easy-to-use setup will open up access to BECs to non-experts, promising ultra-compact sensors for e.g. navigation, exploration or geodetic surveys based on cold atom technology.
Research goals
- Simplification of BEC production
- Miniaturization of a BEC apparatus to a hand-held device
Open positions
Coordinators
30167 Hannover
