Q-PEAK, INCORPORATED — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: S1

Description

To meet NASArsquo;s interest in advancing quantum sensing technologies, the development and maturation towards space application and qualification of atomic systems are needed. Atom interferometers have unmatched precision for in-situ measurements of local gravity acceleration. The Size, Weight, and Power consumption (SWaP) of existing atom interferometers is a major obstacle for employing them in NASA missions. One of the main components of an atom interferometer is an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) system. UHV chambers are typically the heaviest components of atom interferometers. A light, compact, and energy-efficient UHV system will be highly beneficial for NASA missions.nbsp;In this proposal, Q-Peak is addressing the need for lighter, compact, energy-efficient UHV systems suitable for atom interferometer. In particular, we propose to use an aluminum alloy that is 30% lighter than stainless steel to reduce an UHV chamber weight. The aluminum alloy can be machined using a metallic powder bed fusion process that removes the constraint of traditional manufacturing considerations. Furthermore, Q-Peak will focus on developing passive pumping based on non-evaporable getter pumps. Passive pumping can reduce the energy consumption of an UHV system. Other aspects of the UHV system suitable for atom cooling experiment will be addressed: bonding vacuum windows to the aluminum alloy, energy-efficient and reliable alkali-atom sources, and so on.nbsp; The developed UHV system will find direct application to atom interferometers, drastically reducing their SWaP without compromising residual gas pressure and optical access.nbsp;