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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 54: Quantum Optics in Space

Q 54.4: Talk

Thursday, March 14, 2024, 15:15–15:30, HS 3219

Status of the Laser System for Cold Atom Experiments in BECCAL onboard the ISS — •Hamish Beck¹, Hrudya Thaivalappil Sunilkumar¹, Marc Kitzmann¹, Matthias Schoch¹, Christoph Weise¹, Bastian Leykauf¹, Evgeny Kovalchuk¹, Jakob Pohl¹, Achim Peters¹, and the BECCAL Collaboration^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10} — ¹HUB, Berlin — ²FBH, Berlin — ³JGU, Mainz — ⁴LUH, Hanover — ⁵DLR-SI, Hanover — ⁶DLR-QT, Ulm — ⁷UULM, Ulm — ⁸ZARM, Bremen — ⁹DLR, Bremen — ¹⁰DLR-SC, Braunschweig

The Bose-Einstein Condensate and Cold Atom Laboratory (BECCAL) is designed for operation onboard the International Space Station (ISS). This multi-user facility will enable experiments with K and Rb ultra-cold atoms and BECs in mircogravity. Fundamental physics will be explored at longer time- and lower energy-scales compared to those achieved on earth.

The BECCAL laser system is comprised of micro-integrated diode lasers, miniaturized free-space optics on Zerodur boards, and a system of fibres to bring light to the physics package. The design is subject to strict size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints, and the operation of the system is supported by extensive ground-based systems.

An update on the progress of the laser system will be given, touching upon the flight model design and the status of ground-based systems built from commercial components.

This work is supported by the DLR with funds provided by the BMWK under grant number 50WP2102.

Keywords: BECCAL; ISS; Lasers; SWaP