Moreover, in other groups interferometry with laser-cooled atoms was performed on parabolic flights 24 and a cold-atom clock was studied on a satellite 25. They have benefited from our earlier studies on BEC interferometry at the drop tower in Bremen 22, 23 exploring methods for high-precision inertial measurements. For these reasons quantum tests of general relativity 8, 9, 10, the search for the nature of dark matter and energy 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, the detection of gravitational waves 9, 15, 16 and satellite gravimetry 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 represent only a few of the many promising applications of atom interferometry in space.īeing at the very heart of the aforementioned proposals, our experiments set the beginning of space-borne coherent atom optics. Additionally, low external influences and the reduced kinematics of the source allow us to control systematic effects. Indeed, space displays an enormous potential for advancing high-precision matter-wave interferometry because the size of the device is no longer determined by the dropping height required on ground 7. In addition, their large spatial coherence and their slow expanding wave function 6 allow for experiments on macroscopic time scales. The condensates can be engineered and probed by optical techniques 2, 3, 4, 5 making them a promising source for precision measurements. The first observation 1 of the corresponding fringes has ushered in the new era of coherent matter-wave optics. Interference of two BECs constitutes the hallmark of macroscopic coherence.
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