Fundamental Physics Activities in the HME Directorate of the European Space Agency

1. Fundamental Physics Activities in the HME Directorate of the European Space Agency L. Cacciapuoti and O. Minster ESA/ESTEC From Quantum to Cosmos

2. Why Fundamental Physics in Space? • Space is a unique environment • Infinitely long and unperturbed “free fall” conditions • Long interaction times: improved resolution for the measurement of weak effects • Quiet environmental conditions • The cosmic particle content in space • Huge free-propagation distances and variations in altitude • Large velocities and velocity variations • Large variations of the gravitational potential • …but • It is costly • Limited repeatability • Nevertheless, there are space platforms providing good free-fall conditions and allowing to intervene on experiments … at reasonable costs From Quantum to Cosmos

3. Space capsules Parabolic flights Sounding rockets Bremen drop-tower HME Microgravity Facilities From Quantum to Cosmos

4. EADS Space Transportation The ISS and the Columbus Module From Quantum to Cosmos

5. HME Activities in Fundamental Physics • The ACES mission • Future projects in fundamental physics • Cold and ultracold atoms in space • Space Optical Clocks • Atom Interferometry Sensors for Space Applications • BEC in Space • Quantum communication in space • Space-QUEST • Activities in other ESA Directorates for • Initiating studies • Developing key technology and subsystems From Quantum to Cosmos

6. The Mission From Quantum to Cosmos

7. ACES: Validating Key Instruments in Space From Quantum to Cosmos

8. ACES: Validating Key Instruments in Space From Quantum to Cosmos

9. Quantum Probes Atomic Clocks Quantum Matter Pioneering aspects of the ACES mission • Technology demonstratorfor cold atom based missions • First μg experiments with cold atoms • Validation in space of complex laser systems • Validation of a new generation of atomic clocks • Precursor of optical clocks:towards the 10-18 stability and accuracy regime • Demonstration of stable and accurate time and frequency transfer • Long-distance clock-to-clock comparisons • Contribution to high performance global time scale from E. Rasel et al. These results will arrive in time to prepare the next generation of atomic quantum sensors for space From Quantum to Cosmos

10. ESA AO-2004: Ultracold Atoms in Microgravity • Optical Clocks in Space • Atomic clock ensemble for space applications based on the optical transitions of strontium and ytterbium atoms • Stability and accuracy of at the 10-17- 10-18 level • Such performances will impose major efforts to improve existing techniques for time and frequency transfer both space-ground and space-space From Quantum to Cosmos

11. ESA AO-2004: Ultracold Atoms in Microgravity • Atom Interferometry Sensors for Space Applications • Space-based instrument for the measurement of tiny rotations and acceleration and for the detection of faint forces • Quantum and metrological sciences; direct applications in inertial navigation, Earth observation, geodesy, and geology Sensitivity to accelerations (108 atoms): Ground 10-10 g/√Hz (expansion time 0.2 s) Space 10-12 g/√Hz (expansion time 3 s) Sensitivity to rotations (108 atoms): Ground: 10-9 rad/√Hz (expansion time 0.025 s) Space: 810-12 rad/√Hz (expansion time 3 s) Earth rotation rate: 7.2 10-5 rad/s from E. Rasel et al. From Quantum to Cosmos

12. ESA AO-2004: Ultracold Atoms in Microgravity • BEC in Space • BEC facility in microgravity • Based on the technology development of the BEC “Drop-Tower” experiment (DLR pilot project) • Physics of degenerate Bose gases in mg and applications to atomic quantum sensors based on coherent matter-waves From Quantum to Cosmos

13. Atomic Clocks • Fundamental Physics • Standard Model Extension tests • Universality of the gravitational red-shift • Time variations of fundamental constants • Gravitational red-shift • Shapiro time delay and 1/c3 effects • Gravitational waves detection • Applications • Atomic time scales (TAI) • Time & Frequency metrology • Deep space navigation • Doppler tracking • Synchronization of DSNA • VLBI • Time & Frequency transfer • Gravity mapping • Planetary exploration • Atom Interferometers • Fundamental Physics • Weak Equivalence Principle tests • Measurement of fundamental constants • Time variations of fundamental constants • Measurement of the gravito-magnetic effect • Tests of the Newton’s law at short distances • Gravitational waves detection • Applications • Inertial navigation • Earth observation and monitoring • Geology and vulcanology • Gravity and gravity-gradient mapping • Planetary exploration • Degenerate Quantum Gases • Fundamental Physics • Thermodynamics of the phase transition at ultra-low temperatures • Collective excitations in the weak trapping regime • BEC coherence properties in microgravity • Role of interactions in BEC: dipolar forces and short range interactions • Dynamics of Bose mixtures in microgravity • Applications • Atomic sources for atom interferometry • High-resolution interferometric measurements with dilute coherent matter waves Science and Applications From Quantum to Cosmos

14. ESA AO-2004: Quantum Communication • Optical communication link: • Entangled photons transmitter on the ISS (CEPF) • Optical receivers in one or more ground stations (laser ranging stations) • Separation of receiving ground stations up to 1600 km • Fundamental tests of quantum physics: • Bell’s inequality tests on entangled photons • Decoherence effects • Quantum communication on global scale: • QKD between ISS and a ground station • QK exchange between ground stations arbitrarily separated via the ISS from A. Zeilinger et al. From Quantum to Cosmos

15. ESA AO-2004: Quantum Communication Quantum communication space terminal based on the OPTEL25 optical terminal designed by CONTRAVES for intersatellite communication From Quantum to Cosmos

16. Proposed in the ELIPS 2 Programme • ELIPS 2 programme: • Discussed during the last Ministerial Council (December 2005) • Subscribed by almost all EU Member States with two new contributors, Greece and Canada • ISS exploitation programme continuation approved: • Programme will reach full speed at the launch of the Columbus module (2007-2008 time frame) • Proposals in the Fundamental Physics  consolidation study in ELIPS 2 • Cold-atom-based sensors for fundamental physics studies • Space Optical Clocks • Atom Interferometry Sensors for Space Applications • BEC in Space • Quantum communication • Space-QUEST • Upcoming events: • Final programme approved by the European Utilisation Board on the 10-11 May • Formal approval by the HME Programme Board on the 29-30 May Prototypes From Quantum to Cosmos

17. Activities in Other ESA Directorates • Laser systems • Nd-doped mixed garnet lasers (TRP, E. Murphy, TEC-MME) • Lasers at 935 nm and 942 nm: generation of blue sources for laser cooling • Ultra-narrow linewidth DFB lasers at 894nm (GSTP, E. Murphy, TEC-MME) • Application in primary frequency standards • FP laser diode technology development at 779 nm and 894 nm (GSTP, E. Murphy, TEC-MME) • Manipulation and interrogation of Rb and Cs atoms • Time and frequency metrology • Optical clocks (GSP, J. De Vicente Olmedo, OPS-GSS) • Study on feasibility and applications of optical clocks as frequency and time references in ESA deep space stations • Optical frequency synthesizer (GSP, E. Murphy, TEC-MME) • Study to assess present technology developments and produce new ideas • Critical optical frequency comb technologies (GSTP, E. Murphy, TEC-MME) • Synthesis of optical frequencies and identification of critical issues for space qualification • Frequency reference dissemination (GSP, E. Murphy, TEC-MME) • Free-space and fiber-based remote comparison From Quantum to Cosmos

18. Activities in Other ESA Directorates • Atom interferometry • Laser cooled atomic sensors for ultra-high accuracy gravitational acceleration and rotation measurements (TRP, B. Leone, TEC-MME) • High performance space source for laser cooled atoms • Requirements derived from the HYPER mission, but valid for future inertial sensors based on matter-wave interferometry (gravimeters, gyroscopes,…) • Quantum communication • Study on quantum communication in space (GSTP, J. Perdigues Armengol and B. Furch, TEC-MMO) • Accommodation of a quantum communication transceiver in an optical terminal (GSTP, J. Perdigues Armengol and B. Furch, TEC-MMO) • Experimental evaluation of quantum communication in the framework of the current needs of space systems (GSTP, J. Perdigues Armengol and B. Furch, TEC-MMO) • Design, development, and experimental evaluation of a proof-of-concept demonstrator • Successful transmission of entangled photons and QKD over 144 km • Photonic transceiver for secure space communication (GSTP, J. Perdigues Armengol and B. Furch, TEC-MMO) From Quantum to Cosmos

19. Conclusions • The development of projects on cold-atom based systems and quantum communication techniques will bring about • Outstanding scientific results • Mature, space-proved technology within a plausible timeframe of 6 to 10 years • Unique opportunity to consolidate this kind of technology and prepare key instruments for future space missions • Coordination of all potential efforts of ESA, National Agencies, and scientists on these initiatives From Quantum to Cosmos

20. International Workshop Advances in Precision Tests and Experimental Gravitation in Space GALILEO GALILEI INSTITUTE 28-30 September 2006 Firenze, ITALY http://www.fi.infn.it/GGI-grav-space/egs_w.html The workshop is intended to: • Present recent results and advances in precision instruments and tests of fundamental laws of physics both on ground and in space • Discuss how ground-based experiments can be extended into space missions to test our understanding of the Universe • Present new ideas and proposals for the next generation of fundamental physics “explorers” in space • Encourage international collaborations between research institutes on topics of common interest From Quantum to Cosmos

21. Fundamental physics with clocks Recent advances on atomic frequency standards and precision measurements; Fundamental physics tests with clocks on ground and in space; Atomic clock missions in space Atom interferometry and detection of weak forces Inertial sensors Atom interferometers for gravitational physics experiments Tests of gravity at short distances Measurement of Casimir forces Ultracold quantum gases Precision measurements and fundamental constants Newtonian gravitational constant G h/m and fine structure constant … Einstein’s Equivalence Principle tests on ground and in space Universality of the free fall Clock tests of the Local Lorentz Invariance and Local Position Invariance … Tests of metric theories of gravity Measurement of the Lense-Thirring effect Measurements of the gravitoelectric perigee shift Tests of gravity at long distances Laser ranging tests … Status on gravitational waves detection Abstracts submission deadline: 15th July 2006 List of Topics From Quantum to Cosmos

22. Committees Organizing Committee: L. Cacciapuoti (ESTEC, The Netherlands) W. Ertmer (IQ, Germany) C. Salomon (ENS, France) G.M. Tino (University of Firenze, Italy) Scientific Committee: L. Cacciapuoti (ESTEC, The Netherlands) T. Damour (IHES, France) W. Ertmer (IQ, Germany) P. Gill (NPL, United Kingdom) S. Leon (CNES, France) A. Nobili (University of Pisa, Italy) C. Nary Man (Observatoire Côte d’Azur, France) W. Phillips (NIST, USA) S. Reynaud (LKB, France) C. Salomon (LKB, France) S. Schiller (University of Düsseldorf, Germany) G. M. Tino (University of Firenze, Italy) G. Veneziano (CERN, Switzerland) From Quantum to Cosmos