Multi User Quantum Gas Facilities in µg

The vibrant community focused on ultracold quantum gases and atom interferometry is pioneering a diverse range of scientific experiments and cases, utilizing shared hardware platforms. Recently, collaborative initiatives by community members from Europe and the United States suggested a dozen promising scientific directions possibly executed on a small number of BEC machines. These proposals were part of NASA’s decadal survey efforts and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) post-International Space Station (ISS) Facility Definition Team (FDT) roadmap on Quantum Gases and Atom Interferometry.

Building on the synergies and successes of national programs on quantum science in microgravity, such as those by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) or the Cold Atom Laboratory by NASA, the community now has a solid foundation. This provides a significant advantage in designing future generations of Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) machines, starting with operations at the Einstein-Elevator (EE) facility and leading to advanced payloads for space stations and commercial free flyers missions. These cutting-edge experiments are set to explore fundamental physics and quantum science questions using highly adaptable facilities, all while keeping mission size, weight, power requirements, and costs to a minimum.

This workshop, hosted by the Hannover Institute of Technology—home of the Einstein-Elevator (EE) and the Very Large Baseline Atom Interferometer (VLBAI) fountain—aims to bring together leading science and engineering experts of this field. Our goal is to map out the immediate steps needed to design and operate the next generation of BEC multi-user facilities. With the strong presence of representatives from various space agencies, this workshop ensures that our efforts align with the programmatic roadmaps of these agencies, fostering collaboration and progress in this exciting field.

• Naceur Gaaloul 
  gaaloul@iqo.uni-hannover.de
• Christoph Lotz
  christoph.lotz@ita.uni-hannover.de
• Jens Grosse
• Jonas Böhm
• Ernst Maria Rasel