Trap-Quenched Matter-Wave Optics in Space

Abstract

Dual-species atomic sources in space promise to be the testbed for a multitude of searches in quantum gas physics such as a precise test of the Universality of Free Fall (UFF), few-body physics, cold molecules and quantum bubbles. These experiments demand exquisite control over the expansion energies of both condensed ensembles as well as over their differential center-of-mass dynamics. We propose a trap-quenched collimation technique featuring in-trap excitations of collective modes compatible with state-of-the-art atom-chip setups. Using NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory aboard the International Space Station, we demonstrate it on a single-species ${}^{87}$Rb condensate. By controlling the center-of-mass release dynamics, we observe free expansion times up to 700 ms and measure a two-dimensional expansion energy of $k_B\cdot 78\pm 9\mathrm{pK}$ in the imaging plane. A detailed model of the magnetically-induced dynamics indicates that this corresponds to a two-dimensional expansion energy of about $k_B\cdot 15_{-5}^{+12}\mathrm{pK}$ along two of the condensate's eigenaxes. Finally, we theoretically study this trap-quenched collimation scheme for a ${}^{41}$K-${}^{87}$Rb mixture, predicting a simultaneous collimation that meets the expansion energy requirements for a state-of-the-art UFF test at the $10^{-15}$ accuracy level.