Development of a blue-detuned "toss-and-catch" optical lattice for 60-cm ultracold atom transport

Long-baseline atom interferometers like MAGIS-100 require transporting ultracold atoms over half-meter distances. Conventional transport via moving dipole traps is slow and mechanically complex, while traditional far-detuned lattices require excessively high laser power to suppress spontaneous emission over long durations. We propose a static, dual-lattice system that implements a "toss-and-catch" sequence to bridge a 60-cm separation. By accelerating atoms at 100g, releasing them into parabolic flight, and re-capturing and decelerating them at the destination, light-atom interaction time is drastically reduced. Furthermore, we utilize mm-waist, blue-detuned 689 nm beams to trap atoms at intensity minima and suppress photon scattering. This requires only a few hundred mW of power, avoiding the need for high-power far-detuned systems. We report on the experimental progress of this system. Initial experiments have successfully validated the high-g acceleration mechanism, with measured launch velocities aligning with our current laser power limits. We will present these launch results, the theoretical framework for gravity sag mitigation, and our progress toward demonstrating the full capture and deceleration sequence.