PRIMUS - An optical dipole trap for cold atom experiments in microgravity
Abstract
PRIMUS is a drop tower experiment set up to explore the potential of matterwave interferometry in microgravity to realize quantum sensors with increased sensitivity and to enable future space-based fundamental physics tests in particular. To exploit the benefit of extend free fall times in such interferometers, the atoms need to be cooled to the low nK regime, possibly to quantum degeneracy by evaporative cooling.While most cold atom experiments in microgravity rely on magnetic trapping with atom chips for subsequent evaporative cooling, we employ an optical dipole trap instead. This offers several advantages such as improved harmonicity, trapping of all magnetic substates and the possibility to apply Feshbach resonances to control atomic interactions. However, while dipole traps are well established in ground based experiments, their application in a microgravity environment is significantly more demanding.
In this talk, we will present our drop capsule setup and show first results of trapping and cooling atoms in an optical trap in the drop tower. To our knowledge this is the first time an optical dipole trap has been operated in a microgravity environment. We will also outline the next steps to cool the atoms further to ultra-cold temperatures e.g. by applying spatial modulation of the trapping beam to decouple the trapping volume from trapping frequency thus significantly accelerating the evaporative cooling process.- Publication:
-
42nd COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- July 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018cosp...42E1445H