The Quantum Sciences and Technology Laboratories were established to support the research and development of advanced technologies and precision instruments enabled by quantum mechanical and photonic processes. Basic research activities include laser cooling and trapping of atomic particles, ultra cold atom physics, nonlinear optics and quantum optics, frequency control and precision measurements. These research activities, in turn, enhance our abilities to develop new technologies for application to space science and exploration. The focus areas are high performance atomic clocks, atom interferometer sensors, microresonator devices, and laser interferometers, as well as their applications for fundamental physics measurements in space.
The Quantum Sciences and Technology labs maintain several modern optics and metrology laboratories. They are equipped with a broad set of laser systems from MIR to UV, as well as a self-referenced optical frequency comb system and highly stabilized optical references; major optical facilities include vibration isolated optical tables, optical spectral analyzers, wavemeters, scanning Fabry-Perot analyzers, power meters, and an advanced fiber fusion splicer; a wide spectrum of RF instruments such as state-of-the-art frequency synthesizers, spectral analyzers, amplifiers and fast data acquisition systems; a complete set of vacuum preparation facilities with multiple pump stations, leak detectors, and residual gas analyzers. In addition, there is a clean room equipped for fabrication and characterization of high-Q micro-resonators. The labs are colocated with the Frequency Standard Test Lab where high performance frequency standards and test facilities can be leveraged for the R&D activities.
Personnel / Contacts:
- Nan Yu
Ongoing Research Projects:
- High performance frequency standards and miniature atomic clocks
- Cold Atom Laboratory ISS facility payload development and science investigations
- Quantum atom interferometer sensors and their applications in space
- Microresonators, nonlinear optics, and photonic devices
- Precision measurements and fundamental physics in space
- Quantum Sciences and Technology Group
