Workshop Scope:
The 3rd TVLBAI workshop follows the formation of the TVLBAI Proto-Collaboration
and will focus on discussing the technology and physics drivers for large-scale
Atom Interferometry as well as establishing a comprehensive roadmap. The
primary objectives are to bring together researchers from diverse institutions and
communities, foster strategic discussions, and develop a pathway towards funding
for Terrestrial Very-Long Baseline Atom Interferometer projects expected to
become operational in the mid-2030s.
In this third iteration of the TVLBAI workshop, we are gathering in Hannover,
providing an opportunity to visit the newly established and now operational 10m
VLBAI facility. In addition to the VLBAI visits, we are offering lab tours within the
Institute of Quantum Optics and the Einstein Elevator.
Building on the success of the last two editions, this workshop will cultivate a
strong sense of community among participants. It will help to establish a
supportive network of experts and enthusiasts ready to advance the field of atom
interferometry from all over the world.
International Organisation Committee:
Gianluigi Arduini, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
Kai Bongs, DLR Institute for Quantum Technologies, Germany
Philippe Bouyer, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Diego Blas, Institut de Física d'Altes Energies, Spain
Oliver Buchmueller, Imperial College London, UK
Sergio Calatroni, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
Benjamin Canuel, CNRS, Institut d'Optique Graduate School, France
Marilù Chiofalo, University of Pisa and INFN Pisa, Italy
Fabio Di Pumpo, University of Ulm, Germany
Michael Doser, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
John Ellis, King's College London, UK
Naceur Gaaloul, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Jason Hogan, Stanford University, US
Peter Knight, Imperial College London, UK
Timothy Kovachy, Northwestern University, US
Ernst Rasel, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Ulrich Schneider, University of Cambridge, UK
Guglielmo Tino, University of Florence and LENS, Italy
Wolf von Klitzing, IESL-FORTH, Greece
Mingsheng Zhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, China
Local Organisation Committee:
Elina Fuchs, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Naceur Gaaloul, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Klemens Hammerer, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Michèle Heurs, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Jürgen Müller, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Maria Alessandra Papa, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Ernst Maria Rasel, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Dennis Schlippert, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Michael Werner, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Additional Information:
Atom Interferometry (AI) is a well-established quantum sensor concept based on
the superposition and interference of atomic wave packets, which affords
exceptionally high sensitivity, e.g., to inertial/gravitational effects. AI experimental
designs take advantage of features used by state-of-the-art atomic clocks in
combination with established techniques for building inertial sensors.
The experimental landscape of AI projects has expanded significantly in recent
years, ranging from ultra-sensitive experimental setups to portable devices and
even commercially available gravimeters. Several large-scale terrestrial AIs based
on Cold Atom technologies are currently under construction, in planning stages or
being proposed.
Several large-scale fully funded prototype projects are currently under
construction, namely AION-10 at Oxford with possible 100m sites at Boulby in the
UK and at CERN under investigation, a 10m fountain at Stanford & MAGIS-100 at
FNAL in the US, MIGA in France, and a 10m fountain & ZAIGA in China [1-7].
These will demonstrate the feasibility of AI at macroscopic scales, paving the way
for terrestrial km-scale experiments as the next steps.
There are proposals to build one or more km-scale detectors, including AION-km
at the STFC Boulby facility in the UK [1], MAGIA-advanced and ELGAR in Europe
[8], MAGIS-km at the Sanford Underground Research facility (SURF) in the US [2],
and advanced ZAIGA in China [4].
The goal is that by about 2035 at least one km-scale detector will have entered
operation. These km-scale experiments would not only be able to explore
systematically the mid-frequency band of gravitational waves and probe possible
ultralight dark matter but would also demonstrate the readiness of key
technologies ahead of a space-based AI mission such as AEDGE [9].
The TVLBAI activity unites the cold atom, astrophysics, cosmology, and
fundamental physics communities, building upon the Community Workshop on
Cold Atoms in Space held in September 2021 [10]. This prior workshop reviewed
the cold atom experiment landscape for space and established a corresponding
roadmap for cold atoms in space [11].
[1] L. Badurina et al., AION: An Atom Interferometer Observatory and Network, JCAP 05 (2020) 011, [arXiv:1911.11755].
[2] Susannah M. Dickerson et al, Multiaxis Inertial Sensing with Long-Time Point Source Atom Interferometry, Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 083001 (2013), [arXiv:1305.1700].
[3] M. Abe et al., Matter-wave Atomic Gradiometer Interferometric Sensor (MAGIS-100), Quantum Sci. Technol. 6 (2021) 4, 044003, [arXiv:2104.02835].
[4] B. Canuel et al., Exploring gravity with the MIGA large scale atom interferometer, Sci. Rep. 8 (2018), no. 1 14064, [arXiv:1703.02490].
[5] D. Schlippert et al,” Matter Wave Interferometry for Inertial Sensing and Tests of Fundamental Physics”, Presented at the Eighth Meeting on CPT and Lorentz Symmetry, Bloomington, Indiana, May 12-16, 2019 (2020), [arXiv:1909.08524].
[6] L. Zhou, Y. Xiong et al. Development of an atom gravimeter and status of the 10-meter atom interferometer for precision gravity measurement. Gen Relativity & Gravitation 43, 1931–1942 (2011).
[7] M.-S. Zhan et al., ZAIGA: Zhaoshan Long-baseline Atom Interferometer Gravitation Antenna, Int. J. Mod. Phys. D28 (2019) 1940005, [arXiv:1903.09288].
[8] B. Canuel et al., ELGAR—a European Laboratory for Gravitation and Atom-interferometric Research, Class. Quant. Grav. 37 (2020), no. 22 225017, [arXiv:1911.03701].
[9] Y. A. El-Neaj et al., "AEDGE: Atomic Experiment for Dark Matter and Gravity
Exploration in Space,” EPJ Quantum Technol. 7, 6 (2020), [arXiv:1908.00802].
[10] https://indico.cern.ch/event/1064855/
[11] I. Alonso et al., Cold Atoms in Space: Community Workshop Summary and
Proposed Road-Map, EPJ Quantum Technology 9.1 (2022): 1-55,
[arXiv:2201.07789].
