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Quantum Sensing via Matter-Wave Interferometry Aboard the International Space Station
6 min read

Future space missions could use quantum technologies to help us understand the physical laws that govern the universe, explore the composition of other planets and their moons, gain insights into unexplained cosmological phenomena, or monitor ice sheet thickness and the…

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NASA Demonstrates ‘Ultra-Cool’ Quantum Sensor for First Time in Space
5 min read

Future space missions could use quantum technology to track water on Earth, explore the composition of moons and other planets, or probe mysterious cosmic phenomena. NASA’s Cold Atom Lab, a first-of-its-kind facility aboard the International Space Station, has taken another…

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Cold Atom Lab Publishes Paper in Nature
2 min read

The following abstract was published in Nature 623, 502–508 (2023). The full paper can be read here:  Elliott, E.R., Aveline, D.C., Bigelow, N.P. et al. Quantum gas mixtures and dual-species atom interferometry in space. Nature 623, 502–508 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06645-w The capability to reach ultracold atomic temperatures in compact instruments…

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NASA’s Cold Atom Lab Sets Stage for Quantum Chemistry in Space
7 min read

The remotely operated facility aboard the International Space Station has created another tool that researchers can use to probe the fundamental nature of the world around us. For the first time in space, scientists have produced a quantum gas containing…

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Coexisting quantum gases in Earth’s orbit
5 min read

PROJECT Cold Atom Lab (CAL) SNAPSHOT Two species of quantum gases have been created to coexist and interact for the first time in space. Accessing resonant interactions among these gases will allow scientists to explore few-body physics, quantum chemistry, and…

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NASA’s Space-Based Quantum Science Lab Keeps Getting Better
5 min read

The agency’s Cold Atom Lab is getting its second major upgrade and will be using it to explore the quantum realm.

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Cold Atom Laboratory Science Workshop
1 min read

A Cold Atom Laboratory Science Workshop was held in in Bremen Germany to discuss and future collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Atomic Physics and Molecular Optic Research Community worldwide.

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Coolest Science Ever Headed to the Space Station
2 min read

Atomic physicists tend to tinker away on their own, preferably in dark, hushed labs. When Eric Cornell started as a postdoc with Carl Wieman at JILA, an institute run jointly by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the…

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Universe’s Coolest Lab Set To Open Up Quantum World
1 min read

Quantum physicists are about to get their own playground in space. NASA’s Cold Atom Laboratory, scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on 20 May, is set to be the coldest place in the known Universe. Researchers will use…

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The Cold Atom Lab Is Ready for Launch
1 min read

The Cold Atom Lab has been integrated into the Cygnus spacecraft in advance of its May 20th launch from the Wallops Flight Facility.The top image shows the Cold Atom Lab being loaded into the Cygnus spacecraft. The bottom image shows…

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