Characterization of laser cooling in microgravity via long-term operations in TianGong-2 space lab.

ABSTRACT: The invention of laser cooling has fundamentally influenced the research frontier of atomic physics and quantum physics, and recently an intense focus has been on the studies of cold atom physics in microgravity environments. Herein, we report the results of our laser cooling experiment in TianGong-2 space lab, which operated for 34 consecutive months in orbit. Over such an extended operation time, the quality of laser cooling did not experience any significant decline, while the properties of laser cooling in orbital microgravity were systematically studied. In particular, we demonstrate magneto-optical trapping and polarization-gradient cooling in orbit and carefully examine their performances. A comparison of the in-orbit and on-ground results indicates that a higher cooling efficiency

SUBMITTER: Lu DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10115171 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature