Rubidium Bose-Einstein Condensate under Microgravity

Weightlessness promises to substantially extend the science of quantum gases toward presently inaccessible regimes of low temperature, mcroscopic dimensions of coherent matter waves, and enhanced duration of unperturbed evolution. With the long-term goal of studying cold quantum gases on a space platform, we currently focus on the implementation of an 87Rb Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) experiment under microgravity conditions at the ZARM drop tower in Bremen (Germany). Special challenges in the construction of the experimental setup are posed by a low volume of the drop capsule (< 1 m^3) as well as critical vibrations during capsule release and paek decelerations of up to 50 g during recapture at teh bottom of the tower. All mechanical and electronic components have thus been designed with stringent demands on miniaturization, mechanical stability and reliability. Additionally, the system provide extensive remote control capabilities as it is not manually accessible in the tower for two hours before and during the drop. We present the robust system and show results from first tests at teh drop tower