Quantum technology utilised in project on the International Space Station

 

On board the International Space Station, the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) will collaborate with many other universities to construct a laser system for the BECCAL experiment, which will examine ultracold atoms (ISS).

What is the BECCAL experiment?

The 'Development of a laser system for experiments with Bose-Einstein condensates on the ISS within the BECCAL payload' project kicked off the BECCAL experiment in December 2021.

The BECCAL experiment is a descendant of the CAL project, which has carried out various experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since 2018. BECCAL aims to improve the ISS's experimental capabilities, particularly in the areas of precision atomic interferometry and atom manipulation using detuned optical beams.

The experiment uses a multi-user platform that will be available to a wide range of national and international scientists to assist them in putting their theories into practise; experiments will be conducted on board the ISS using ultracold atoms for fundamental research and the future development of quantum sensors.

Scientists will be able to conduct experiments in quantum sensing, quantum information, quantum technology, and quantum optics using the platform.

The introduction of new technological ways to constructing atomic ensembles is being pursued as a way to increase overall performance. The payload will be launched in early 2026 and will take the position of the CAL equipment on the ISS Destiny module.

Why is this being launched on the ISS?

The BECCAL payload will be transported to the International Space Station (ISS) and will provide a unique mix of weightlessness, accessibility, and a huge number of experiments. Scientists will be able to conduct high-precision experiments, such as testing Einstein's equivalence principle and building quantum technologies, as a result of this.

"Ideally, the ultracold atom cloud should be absolutely devoid of any forces for the tests to work. "Weightlessness allows for such settings," said Dr. André Wenzlawski of Mainz University's Windpassinger group.

What experiments will BECCAL make possible?

The collaborative team will work together to develop and realise a Zerodur-based optical splitting and switching system and integrate it into the BECCAL payload as part of the €3.4 million subproject.

These advancements will be based on the findings of a number of prior microgravity experiments, including MAIUS, QUANTUS, and KALEXUS, all of which JGU was a part in.

"These trials allowed us to set the technological foundations for performing such a complicated experiment as well as perform preliminary fundamental checks on the viability of the proposed experiments," Wenzlawski added.

The Ferdinand-Braun-Institut (FBH), which is now producing 55 narrow-band laser sources, is providing the durable laser modules required for the experiment. The integration of these laser modules, as well as the optical beam splitting and switching benches, into a compact overall system, is being coordinated by Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

Following a vote by the German Bundestag, the German Space Agency of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is sponsoring the project with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.