Quantum milestone: Diatomic quantum gas produced in space for the first time

An international team of scientists at NASA’s Cold Atom Laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS) has produced a quantum gas containing two types of atoms in space for the first time. This achievement, outlined in the new study published in the journal Nature, marks a turning point in bringing quantum technologies currently available on Earth into space.

By performing the experiments remotely from Earth, the researchers were able to manipulate conditions to create a Bose-Einstein condensate. A Bose-Einstein condensate can be described as a unique quantum state of matter formed by cooling an atomic gas to temperatures close to absolute zero, or around -273.15 degrees Celsius. At such low temperatures, the atoms in the gas can lose their unique identities and begin to behave as a single, harmonious entity.

A significant advance for space-based quantum technology

(Six finely tuned lasers used to slow down atoms, lowering their temperature.)

Thanks to this new capability, the Cold Atom Laboratory will now be able to study not only the quantum properties of individual atoms, but also quantum chemistry, which focuses on how different types of atoms interact and combine with each other in the quantum state. Such experiments could pave the way for the development of new space-based quantum technologies.

One of the mysteries that scientists aim to solve is the equivalence principle, which holds that gravity affects all objects the same way, regardless of their mass. This principle, which is part of Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, the backbone of modern gravitational physics, does not fit neatly with the laws of quantum physics that describe the behavior of small objects such as atoms. Scientists have conducted experiments with atom interferometers on Earth to see whether the equivalence principle holds at atomic scales, but they can test it more precisely in space at the Cold Atom Laboratory.

A path to understanding dark energy

Scientists plan to conduct experiments using a two-atom interferometer and quantum gases to measure gravity with high precision to learn about the nature of dark energy, the mysterious driving force behind the accelerating expansion of the universe, says Nicholas Bigelow, director of the NASA-funded Consortium for Ultra-Cold Atoms in Space. This enables the development of sensitive sensors for a wide variety of applications.

According to Bigelow, we can use these cold atoms in the Bose-Einstein condensate to make gyroscopes. It is also said that these gyroscopes can give a stable reference point that can be used for deep space navigation.