title: Atom interferometry in space: thermal management and magnetic shielding.
abstract: Atom interferometry is an exciting tool to probe fundamental physics. It is considered especially apt to test the universality of free fall by using two different sorts of atoms. The increasing sensitivity required for this kind of experiment sets severe requirements on its environments, instrument control, and systematic effects. This can partially be mitigated by going to space as was proposed, for example, in the Spacetime Explorer and Quantum Equivalence Principle Space Test (STE-QUEST) mission. However, the requirements on the instrument are still very challenging. For example, the specifications of the STE-QUEST mission imply that the Feshbach coils of the atom interferometer are allowed to change their radius only by about 260 nm or 2.6 × 10(-4) % due to thermal expansion although they consume an average power of 22 W. Also Earth's magnetic field has to be suppressed by a factor of 10(5). We show in this article that with the right design such thermal and magnetic requirements can indeed be met and that these are not an impediment for the exciting physics possible with atom interferometers in space.
authors.affiliation: Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM), University Bremen, Am Fallturm, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milke
authors.affiliation: Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM), University Bremen, Am Fallturm, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubelka-Lange
authors.affiliation: Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM), University Bremen, Am Fallturm, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gürlebeck
authors.affiliation: Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM), University Bremen, Am Fallturm, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Benny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rievers
authors.affiliation: Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM), University Bremen, Am Fallturm, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.affiliation: DLR Institute for Space Systems, Robert-Hooke-Str. 7, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schuldt
authors.affiliation: Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM), University Bremen, Am Fallturm, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braxmaier