QTI Colloquia

Quantum sensors for the AION experiment

by Oliver Buchmuller (Imperial College (GB))

Europe/Zurich
500/1-001 - Main Auditorium (CERN)

500/1-001 - Main Auditorium

CERN

400
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Description

I will outline in the presentation the scientific opportunities of a multi-stage programme based on cold atom quantum technology. The central goals of the programme are to search for ultra-light dark matter, to explore gravitational waves in the mid-frequency range between the peak sensitivities of LISA and LIGO/Virgo/ KAGRA/INDIGO/Einstein Telescope/Cosmic Explorer experiments, and to probe other frontiers in fundamental physics.  This programme would complement other planned searches for dark matter, as well as probe mergers involving intermediate-mass black holes and explore early-universe cosmology. I will especially focus on key activities in the field: the recently funded AION project [1] in the UK, the proposed space mission proposal AEDGE and STE-QUEST [2,3], and summarise the recent Cold Atoms in Space Workshop Summary & Roadmap [4]. These projects are uniquely interdisciplinary missions that will harness cold atom quantum technologies to address key issues in fundamental physics, astrophysics and cosmology that can be realized in the next few decades. 

[1] AION, JCAP 05 (2020) 011, arXiv:1911.11755 

[2] AEDGE, EPJ Quant. Tec. 7 (2020) 6, EPJ QT, arXiv:1908.00802 

[3] SET-QUEST, https://indi.to/BJTRN

[4] https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.07789

Organised by

Alberto Di Meglio, Anastasiia Lazuka, Maurizio Pierini