Refine
Document Type
- Article (3)
Language
- English (3)
Keywords
- Atom interferometer (1)
- Atom interferometry (1)
- Bose-Einstein condensate (2)
- Cold atoms (1)
- Equivalence principle (1)
- Equivalence principle test (1)
- Microgravity (1)
- Quantum gravity (1)
- Space physics (1)
- Space technology (1)
A flight-like absolute optical frequency reference based on iodine for laser systems at 1064 nm
(2017)
We present an absolute optical frequency reference based on precision spectroscopy of hyperfine transitions in molecular iodine 127I2 for laser systems operating at 1064 nm. A quasi-monolithic spectroscopy setup was developed, integrated, and tested with respect to potential deployment in space missions that require frequency stable laser systems. We report on environmental tests of the setup and its frequency stability and reproducibility before and after each test. Furthermore, we report on the first measurements of the frequency stability of the iodine reference with an unsaturated absorption cell which will greatly simplify its application in space missions. Our frequency reference fulfills the requirements on the frequency stability for planned space missions such as LISA or NGGM.
Atom interferometers have a multitude of proposed applications in space including precise measurements of the Earth's gravitational field, in navigation & ranging, and in fundamental physics such as tests of the weak equivalence principle (WEP) and gravitational wave detection. While atom interferometers are realized routinely in ground-based laboratories, current efforts aim at the development of a space compatible design optimized with respect to dimensions, weight, power consumption, mechanical robustness and radiation hardness. In this paper, we present a design of a high-sensitivity differential dual species 85Rb/87Rb atom interferometer for space, including physics package, laser system, electronics and software. The physics package comprises the atom source consisting of dispensers and a 2D magneto-optical trap (MOT), the science chamber with a 3D-MOT, a magnetic trap based on an atom chip and an optical dipole trap (ODT) used for Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) creation and interferometry, the detection unit, the vacuum system for 10-11 mbar ultra-high vacuum generation, and the high-suppression factor magnetic shielding as well as the thermal control system.
The laser system is based on a hybrid approach using fiber-based telecom components and high-power laser diode technology and includes all laser sources for 2D-MOT, 3D-MOT, ODT, interferometry and detection. Manipulation and switching of the laser beams is carried out on an optical bench using Zerodur bonding technology. The instrument consists of 9 units with an overall mass of 221 kg, an average power consumption of 608 W (819 W peak), and a volume of 470 liters which would well fit on a satellite to be launched with a Soyuz rocket, as system studies have shown.
