A Dual-Species Atom Interferometer Payload for Operation on Sounding Rockets
Abstract
We report on the design and the construction of a sounding rocket payload capable of performing atom interferometry with Bose-Einstein condensates of K and Rb. The apparatus is designed to be launched in two consecutive missions with a VSB-30 sounding rocket and is qualified to withstand the expected vibrational loads of 1.8 g root-mean-square in a frequency range between 20 - 2000 Hz and the expected static loads during ascent and re-entry of 25 g. We present a modular design of the scientific payload comprising a physics package, a laser system, an electronics system and a battery module. A dedicated on-board software provides a largely automated process of predefined experiments. To operate the payload safely in laboratory and flight mode, a thermal control system and ground support equipment has been implemented and will be presented. The payload presented here represents a cornerstone for future applications of matter wave interferometry with ultracold atoms on satellites.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2305.08634,
title = {A Dual-Species Atom Interferometer Payload for Operation on Sounding Rockets},
author = {Michael Elsen and Baptist Piest and Fabian Adam and Oliver Anton and Paweł Arciszewski and Wolfgang Bartosch and Dennis Becker and Jonas Böhm and Sören Boles and Klaus Döringshoff and Priyanka Guggilam and Ortwin Hellmig and Isabell Imwalle and Simon Kanthak and Christian Kürbis and Matthias Koch and Maike Diana Lachmann and Moritz Mihm and Hauke Müntinga and Ayush Mani Nepal and Tim Oberschulte and Peter Ohr and Alexandros Papakonstantinou and Arnau Prat and Christian Reichelt and Jan Sommer and Christian Spindeldreier and Marvin Warner and Thijs Wendrich and André Wenzlawski and Holger Blume and Claus Braxmaier and Daniel Lüdtke and Achim Peters and Ernst Maria Rasel and Klaus Sengstock and Andreas Wicht and Patrick Windpassinger and Jens Grosse},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2305.08634},
year = {2023}
}