I.C.E.: a transportable atomic inertial sensor for test in microgravity

Nyman, Robert A.; Varoquaux, Gaël; Lienhart, F.; Chambon, D.; Boussen, Salah; Clément, Jean‐François; Müller, Tobias M.; Santarelli, Giorgio; Santos, F. Pereira Dos; Clairon, A.; Bresson, Alexandre; Landragin, Arnaud; Bouyer, Philippe

doi:10.1007/s00340-006-2395-7

Cited by 49 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Similarly, the I.C.E. project 12 supported by CNES in France aims to develop a high-precision accelerometer based on coherent atomic sources in space [85] with an accurate test of the EP being one of the main objectives.…”

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confidence: 99%

Experimental Tests of General Relativity

Turyshev

2008

Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci.

137

150

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Einstein's general theory of relativity is the standard theory of gravity, especially where the needs of astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology and fundamental physics are concerned. As such, this theory is used for many practical purposes involving spacecraft navigation, geodesy, and time transfer. Here I review the foundations of general relativity, discuss recent progress in the tests of relativistic gravity in the solar system, and present motivations for the new generation of highaccuracy gravitational experiments. I discuss the advances in our understanding of fundamental physics that are anticipated in the near future and evaluate the discovery potential of the recently proposed gravitational experiments.

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confidence: 99%

Experimental Tests of General Relativity

Turyshev

2008

Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci.

137

150

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“…We assembled a prototype atomic source suitable for inertial-sensing in an airplane from the I.C.E. collaboration components [16] (see Fig. 1).…”

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confidence: 99%

Light-pulse atom interferometry in microgravity

et al. 2009

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Abstract. We describe the operation of a light pulse interferometer using cold 87 Rb atoms in reduced gravity. Using a series of two Raman transitions induced by light pulses, we have obtained Ramsey fringes in the low gravity environment achieved during parabolic flights. With our compact apparatus, we have operated in a regime which is not accessible on ground. In the much lower gravity environment and lower vibration level of a satellite, our cold atom interferometer could measure accelerations with a sensitivity orders of magnitude better than the best ground based accelerometers and close to proven spaced-based ones. PACS. PACS-key discribing text of that key -PACS-key discribing text of that keyAtom interferometry is one of the most promising candidates for ultra-accurate measurements of gravito-inertial forces [1], with both fundamental [2,3,4,5] and practical (navigation or geodesy) applications. Atom interferometry is most often performed by applying successive coherent beam-splitting and -recombining processes separated by an interrogation time T to a set of particles [6]. Understanding matter waves interferences phenomena follows from the analogy with optical interferometry [7,8]: the incoming wave is separated into two wavepackets by a first beam-splitter; each wave then propagates during a time T along a different path and accumulates a different phase; the two wavepackets are finally recombined by a last beam-splitter. To observe the interferences, one measures the two output-channels complementary probability amplitudes which are sine functions of the accumulated phase difference ∆φ. This phase difference increases with the paths length, i.e. with the time T between the beamsplitting pulses.When used as inertial sensors [9,10], the atoms are usually left free to evolve during the interrogation time T so that the interferometer is only sensitive to gravitoinertial effects. In particular, one avoids residual trapping fields that would induce inhomogeneities or fluctuations and would affect the atomic signal. The interrogation time T is consequently limited by, on the one hand, the free expansion of the atomic cloud, and, on the other hand, the free fall of the atomic cloud. The limitation of expansion is alleviated by the use of ultracold gases [11,12], Send offprint requests to: Fig. 1. Top: The atom interferometer assembled in the Airbus. The main rack on the left houses the laser sources and the control electronics. The rack on the front right contains the uninterruptable power-supply, the electrical panel and the high-power laser part. The rack on the back right hosts atomoptics part of the experiment. Bottom: the architecture of the atom interferometer.

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“…12 (Interférométrie Cohérente pour l'Espace). In QUANTUS, experiments with Rubidium (Rb) Bose-Einstein condensates are carried out in the drop tower at ZARM in Bremen and are currently prepared for a sounding rocket by the end of 2014.…”

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confidence: 99%

Atom interferometry in space: Thermal management and magnetic shielding

Milke

Kubelka-Lange

Gürlebeck

et al. 2014

Review of Scientific Instruments

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Atom interferometry is an exciting tool to probe fundamental physics. It is considered especially apt to test the universality of free fall by using two different sorts of atoms. The increasing sensitivity required for this kind of experiment sets severe requirements on its environments, instrument control, and systematic effects. This can partially be mitigated by going to space as was proposed, for example, in the Spacetime Explorer and Quantum Equivalence Principle Space Test (STE-QUEST) mission. However, the requirements on the instrument are still very challenging. For example, the specifications of the STE-QUEST mission imply that the Feshbach coils of the atom interferometer are allowed to change their radius only by about 260 nm or 2.6·10 −4 % due to thermal expansion although they consume an average power of 22 W. Also Earth's magnetic field has to be suppressed by a factor of 10 5 . We show in this article that with the right design such thermal and magnetic requirements can indeed be met and that these are not an impediment for the exciting physics possible with atom interferometers in space.

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I.C.E.: a transportable atomic inertial sensor for test in microgravity

Cited by 49 publications

References 20 publications

Experimental Tests of General Relativity

Experimental Tests of General Relativity

Light-pulse atom interferometry in microgravity

Atom interferometry in space: Thermal management and magnetic shielding

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