Towards all-optical entangled BECs in microgravity

Abstract

Atom interferometers serve as high-precision sensors for quantities like acceleration, rotation, or magnetic fields. The sensitivity of atom interferometers is greatly enhanced by long interrogation times, as they are available in spaceborne applications. Second-long interrogation times favor the employment of atomic Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) with their well-controlled spatial mode and their slow expansion rates. The sensitivity can be increased even further by employing squeezed atomic ensembles that enable measurements beyond the standards quantum limit. The INTENTAS project develops a source of entangled atoms that can be tested under microgravity conditions. Microgravity is provided by Hannover’s Einstein Elevator, which offers up to 4s of free fall. A key feature is the fast all-optical BEC generation which is performed in a crossed-beam optical dipole trap. In this poster, the status of the project will be presented, which includes operation in microgravity.