Developing a Centiliter Scale, Low Power Vacuum Cell for Atom Interferometry in Microgravity

Atom interferometry has the potential to surpass the long term stability of classical accelerometers while retaining sensitivity and accuracy. Such accelerometers would be of great use on spacecraft for navigation and tracking, as well as scientific missions investigating gravitational fields or anomalous forces. We at JPL are developing an Atomic Drag-free Accelerometer (ADA) for space applications as part of the Maturation of Instruments for Solar System Exploration (MatISSE) program.

Continued work at JPL has developed a highly compact vacuum cell with minimal power requirements.  We seek to report the status of this system in providing a miniaturized platform for cold atom experiments as we move towards a system utilizing the minimum of active pumping of background gas and the minimum of active dispensing of alkali vapor, and the work towards the demonstration of a miniaturized atom interferometer.