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Atom interferometry for precision measurements on earth and in space

Kolloquium der Abteilung 4

Inertial sensors based on interferometry with ultra cold matter waves are a valuable tool for many experiments. The spectrum of applications covers a broad area from metrology through gravimetry and geodesy up to addressing fundamental questions in physics, such as testing the validity of the Einstein equivalence principle (EEP) in the quantum domain. 

My talk will first discuss the mobile Quantum Gravimeter GAIN (targeted accuracy of a few parts in 1010 for measurements of local gravity) as an example of a high performance instrument developed for terrestrial applications. It will then review the status and perspectives of matter wave experiments (e.g. QUANTUS, STE-QUEST, QWEP, …) aiming to perform tests of fundamental physics in micro-gravity environments and discuss in some detail the technology developments necessary to operate precision experiments in such challenging environments.