An upgraded NASA quantum laboratory — the Cold Atom Lab — is successfully operating aboard the International Space Station. In microgravity conditions, scientists can create and study exotic states of matter that exist for only fractions of a second on Earth. This opens new horizons for fundamental science and future technologies.

What the Cold Atom Lab is

The laboratory is a compact device about the size of a small refrigerator, operated remotely from Earth. It cools rubidium and potassium atoms to temperatures below minus 273 °C — practically to absolute zero. Under such conditions, atoms transition into a special fifth state of matter — the Bose-Einstein condensate.

In this state, atoms cease to behave as individual particles and begin acting as a single quantum wave. They can "smear out" in space, exist in multiple places simultaneously, and pass freely through one another.

Advantages of microgravity

On Earth, gravity quickly destroys such quantum clouds. In microgravity conditions aboard the ISS, they become significantly larger and exist much longer. This allows for experiments that are impossible in ground-based laboratories.

Deputy project scientist Ethan Elliott noted that they are conducting Quantum Revolution 2.0 and hope for a similar breakthrough in technology. He recalled that the first quantum revolution in the last century gave humanity lasers, mobile phones, and MRI machines.

New capabilities

A recent fourth upgrade to the laboratory (since its launch in 2018) added an improved magnetic trap. This allows scientists to control the shape and behavior of quantum clouds with high precision. This opens the door to ultra-precise measurements of time, gravity, and acceleration.

Such research is important not only for fundamental physics but also for creating new navigation systems that could operate with incredible accuracy in the future.

Quantum physics at these scales describes the behavior of matter in a completely different way than classical mechanics. Atoms behave like waves, demonstrating surprising properties that help better understand the laws of the Universe.

In brief

NASA has upgraded the Cold Atom Lab on the ISS, where rubidium and potassium atoms are cooled to near absolute zero to create Bose-Einstein condensates. In microgravity, these quantum clouds are larger and more stable than on Earth. The new equipment enables unique experiments that could lead to breakthroughs in precision measurements and future technologies. This is part of "Quantum Revolution 2.0."