NASA’s Cold Atom Lab is creating one of the weirdest forms of matter in space

Quantum science focuses on the behavior of matter and energy at extremely small scales, including atoms, electrons, and particles of light. Although atoms are often pictured as tiny balls colliding with one another, the quantum world is far stranger. Atoms can behave like waves, appear in multiple locations at the same time, and even pass through one another under certain conditions.

NASA's Cold Atom Lab Studies Matter Near Absolute Zero

About the size of a mini refrigerator and controlled remotely from Earth, the Cold Atom Lab cools atoms to temperatures below minus 459 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 237 degrees Celsius). At temperatures just above absolute zero, atoms can combine into an unusual quantum state known as a Bose-Einstein condensate, or BEC.

A BEC is made up of matter waves and is considered a fifth state of matter in addition to solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. Even though it is much larger than individual subatomic particles, it still follows the laws of quantum mechanics. The microgravity conditions of low Earth orbit allow these matter waves to become even larger than they can on Earth.

"At the coldest temperatures, matter behaves drastically different from anything we have experienced," said Jason Williams, project scientist for Cold Atom Lab at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which built the facility. "The wavelike nature of matter dominates, and ultracold matter can behave in ways that are not only unexpected, but that also enable extremely precise measurements of time, gravity, and motion. The lab has lots of tools -- especially with this latest upgrade -- to let us probe the nature of the universe."

The facility currently supports five international research teams studying fundamental physics. It also serves as a testing ground for quantum instruments that could one day support Earth science investigations and future exploration missions.

How the Upgraded Cold Atom Lab Works

At the center of the facility is a sophisticated collection of instruments known as the science module. A newly upgraded version of this module arrived at the space station on April 11 aboard a Commercial Resupply Services mission, expanding the range of experiments scientists can perform.

During an experiment, strips of rubidium or potassium metal are heated to temperatures as high as 750 °F (400 °C), creating a gas inside a vacuum chamber. Researchers then use carefully tuned lasers to remove energy from the atoms. As the atoms lose energy, they slow down and cool dramatically.

After the laser cooling stage, magnetic fields trap the atoms and keep them contained. Additional cooling techniques reduce their energy even further, bringing the atomic cloud close to a complete standstill and allowing scientists to maximize the amount of time it can be studied in microgravity.

Why Quantum Experiments Benefit From Space

Scientists can study ultracold gases in laboratories on Earth, but space offers important advantages. In microgravity, quantum gases can be observed for longer periods and cooled to even lower temperatures.

The low gravity environment also allows larger quantum waves to form and interact with gravity for longer periods of time. To make these experiments possible aboard the station, engineers compressed what would normally be a room-sized atomic physics laboratory filled with lasers and optical equipment into a compact system that fits inside a station experiment rack.

"As the first project to create Bose-Einstein condensates in orbit, we're demonstrating that we can make quantum technology work reliably in space," said Ethan Elliott, deputy project scientist for Cold Atom Lab at JPL. "In the previous century, there was a quantum revolution that led to lasers, cellphones, and MRIs for medical imaging. We're performing quantum 2.0 -- direct manipulation of large quantum states -- and we hope for similar gains in quantum tech by advancing this science in orbit."

New Upgrade Expands Quantum Research Capabilities

The latest enhancement is the fourth major upgrade since the Cold Atom Lab was installed on the International Space Station in 2018.

Among the most significant improvements is a redesigned magnetic trap that can alter the shape of quantum gas clouds. This gives researchers new opportunities to investigate the properties and behavior of ultracold atoms. Engineers also introduced redesigned metal atom sources that generate the gas clouds used in experiments.

"It's the closest thing we have to controlling the boundary of the quantum world," said Kamal Oudrhiri, project manager of Cold Atom Lab at JPL, referring to those low temperatures. "This new upgrade pushes that boundary even further."

Oudrhiri added that the new hardware "demonstrates NASA's ability to maintain U.S. leadership in space-based quantum technologies while maturing future quantum instruments, such as matter-wave interferometers for fundamental physics missions, positioning, navigation, timing, and gravity sensing of Earth, the Moon, and beyond."

Advancing Quantum Technology in Space

The Cold Atom Lab is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, while NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory designed, built, and operates the facility. The project is sponsored by the Biological and Physical Sciences division within NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

The division supports scientific discovery by using the unique conditions of space to conduct experiments that cannot be carried out on Earth. By studying biological and physical processes in extreme environments, researchers gain knowledge that can help humans travel farther and remain in space longer, while also producing benefits for life on Earth.