QUANTUM SENSORS FOR FUTURE GRAVITY MISSIONS

Abstract

Atom interferometry is a novel quantum sensor technology that uses ultra-cold atoms placed in entangled quantum states in order to detect minute changes in local fields arising from gravitational waves and ultra-light dark matter. They are extremely sensitive to accelerations and have been demonstrated for measurements of Newton's gravitation constant, tests of the Equivalence Principle, and measurement of local gravity gradients. The search for ultralight dark matter and measurements of gravitational waves requires interferometer baselines greater than approximately 100 m. In understanding the fundamental systematics and backgrounds of these detectors, we have discovered that atmospheric and seismic effects, even though physically decoupled from the atoms which are in vacuum and free-fall, are still detectable by the quantum phase of the atoms as was also shown for current generation laser interferometers. From a different perspective these "noise" sources are also interesting signals that we may be able to understand better with these new sensor platforms. For example, the MIGA collaboration has investigated environmental impacts for long-baseline detectors.